I opened the door for her and surprised how restless she looked. She looked cold and exhausted. She is only wearing her bike gear with a vest, it gets chilly outside in the evening, and if she'd been out for more than an hour, she might get sick. I have never been this worried. I have never seen her this exposed and unsure.
She sounded really stressed out. Confessing on being scared made me felt sad but the realization that she almost shut down and escape, made me scared. She can do that. If there's a lesson I learned from 3 years ago, is the fact that she can just escape if she feels unsure and stress. I hugged her tighter and closer hoping that with this at least I could keep her with me.
I listened intently and worriedly while she begins the ordeal of her thoughts. Of how much she suffered thinking about evaluating her emotions. She is not looking at me, she's avoiding my gaze. I can feel she's having a hard time talking.
"I hate you for doing this to me. I hate you for making me feel this roller coaster of emotions. I hate you for disturbing the peace that I have built around me all these years. I hate you for being so cool and attractive. I hate you for making me feel comfortable and special and loved. I hate you because when I'm with you I let my guard down, because I trust you enough, being myself is too natural around you. I hate you because I thought I would never feel this feeling to anyone anymore. I hate that I am so in love with you."
Of all the things she had been saying, I finally roused up with that last statement. I was pleasantly shocked. She really has her way of words. She did again. The confession of hatred that people might think is heading to a bad result. But for her, she's getting used to it, an oxymoronic way of telling things. It's cute and smart but at that particular moment, I almost felt bad for myself. Her confession is unexpected given how I have been feeling agitated for 2 days, she made it seem that she is having a problem. She might have a problem, since she is the type of person who is not typically expressive about her affection.
She loves me. I'm so over the moon. We went back to her loft that night and I had the best night so far that I forgot to confirm about the brunch at our house the next day. She insisted on making something to bring. She is crafty in the kitchen. I also like how thoughtful she is into making an effort to get along with my family. The investigator called me that morning telling me about the progress of his inquiries to her father's job in Korea. Apparently, he used different passport when he came here since at that time the job requires someone who didn't have a family. He is now trying to communicate to his friends and family to know the name he used at his passport that time.
I am planning to talk to her about this later after the meeting with my family. I never would have expected that after the best night of my life will come another set of hurdles to overcome. That's probably why I was given a nice, comfortable sleep, in order to face the ordeal of this day.
It was partly my fault no to have confirmed our attendance at the brunch. But to expect that my father would have been more considerate not to have invited Ha-ri and her parents is skeptical. I was appalled to see them seated nicely together. Jae-yin knew what was coming, and good for her to be the first one to break that awkwardness. I'm at least happy that she has met Ara already. I know I should mind my manners, but I can't control how appalled I was.
"I thought we're having a family lunch?" I sarcastically asked. I shifted into Korean now, showing them that I wanted to discuss freely about what's going on.
"You didn't confirm your attendance…."
"Oh, so I needed to confirm my membership in this family, is that it?"
"Jae-woo, watch your word please…"my mom, of course she's the usual pacifist.
"I invited them because we have something to discuss afterwards…"my father explained.
"And it didn't occur to you that I might bring Ara with me? I'm sorry Congressman, this is nothing personal, I was just really surprise. Of course, you are welcome. I just felt that this might be a bit an awkward situation given that the last time we met I was being engage to your daughter. Maybe, it's a good thing that you are here to meet the only woman I am planning to marry…" I stated.
My father raised his voice. I looked at Ara, she seems uncomfortable now.
"Appa, we have guest…" Jae-yin reminded him.
"He started it. I didn't have any intention to make this a big deal. If you want to introduce her then do so. You are making her more uncomfortable." He said firmly. I can now sense the tensed atmosphere at the table. That's when Ara started to chuckle, to everyone's surprise. She started laughing. She cut off our argument. She always managed to grab attention and she did it in a really funny way. She introduced herself in the most unforgettable way that nobody could have expected, and she politely took her leave. Leaving everyone stunned.
I followed her. I was thinking that she is infuriated but she is cool about it. I know I needed to talk with my family somehow. I went back to the brunch table after sending her off in my car.
"How is she?" Jae-yin asked.
"She left."
"Nobody asked her to leave…." My dad insisted.
"Nobody asked her anything either…" I commented. "Let's start with what we are really here to discuss, I don't think I have much appetite to eat." I coldly continued.
"The food will be cold. We'll discuss business later…" My mom is firm with her word.
After having lunch. They arrange the tea table with the pastries and sweets, I notice the macarons that she baked. I shook my head thinking how she have labored all night baking them that I wanted to just pack it back and bring it to her.
"Where did you buy these macarons?" Ha-ri finally had the courage to speak to me.
"Ara made them…" I coldy replied. Jae-yin and my mom looked at me.
"Well, it such a shame we can't tell how grateful we are to her then…." Jae-yin uttered.
"You can tell her yourself; you know how to contact her…" I replied. She pulled me in the corner, to give me a heads up.
"I'm sorry. I thought Ji-hwan secured the 4% stocks. It turned out, Ae-rin bought them first." She confessed. Ae-rin is my uncle's daughter. She is married to the heir of the department store chain in Seoul.
"So, what's Congressman Park's doing here exactly?"
"There's a suspicion that Ae-rin might not have bought only 4%. All of the spinning stocks are now sold. So, as we speak there are now other shareholders that we don't know about. And even the 13% that is controlled by Dad, we are still short of 3% to control the majority…" she also sounded worried.
"So, are they pursuing the plan of engagement?"
"Either that or Dad will have to support Congressman Park in his bid for his mayoral candidacy for Seoul next year…"
"But he hates politics…"
"Hence, this meeting…"