UNEXPECTED DELIGHT
"There she is! My jagiya," the Vicar adoringly beckoned to his daughter. "We have a new neighbor, Ki Woong. And he humbly came here to introduce himself."
Pointing proudly at Min-hee, Reverend Dae-hyun continued, "Woong — my lovely daughter, Min-hee."
"Miss Jeon." Ki Woong stretched out his right hand for a handshake.
His face was plastered with a malicious smirk that Min-hee recognized — eyes burning with a kind of intensity that she couldn't comprehend. His brows were squeezed which highlighted his handsome face. If Min-hee hadn't known better, she would have thought he was mocking her.
"This is indeed a pleasure," Ki Woong continued. But this time his brows were relaxed and his smirk turned into a full-blown mocking smile.
That was when she caught the hint, he had indeed found her. The Dark Lord from the Aera Manor knew exactly who she was.
Min-hee's face turned pink instantly as a fresh wave of embarrassment swept over her. She couldn't believe it — that he could recognize her.
The only different thing about his appearance was the lack of black clothing.
He wore a white long fitting t-shirt that hugged his well-built body and dark-blue denim jeans. The t-shirt had a v-neck which showed a little bit of his chest and was perfectly adorned by a simple piece of gold necklace. The wavy dark hair had been combed back accentuating his facial features and the black little earring on his left ear gave his handsome look to embrace a little darkness.
Ki Woong took a step towards her with his hand stretched out, expecting a handshake, but Min-hee slowly put her hands into her pockets, wondering what next to do — dash for the door, or, just vanish?
"Good day," she bowed, mentally deciding to take the traditional approach of greeting. "How do you do?"
"Mr Woong here is a businessman," Reverend Dae-hyun said. "He's coming to live at the Manor."
Businessman? thought Min-hee. Well, one wouldn't know what category to place the Dark Lord.
Letting her eyes travel around the room, she noticed with astonishment a couple of empty beer bottles and an almost empty bottle of soju on the table.
"Yeah. Good." She responded and went about picking up the empty bottles and shot glasses. "A businessman into what business?"
"Music and entertainment . . . F—fashion too," Ki Woong answered, stuttering.
She rinsed out the bottles, added them to the recycling box and washed the dirty shot glasses in the sink.
"That's really nice, right Jagiya? " Reverend Dae-hyun asked Min-hee with beaming smiles.
Min-hee couldn't help but wince at her father's way of prematurely trusting someone over a few shots of soju. His accommodating nature puts her on edge most times because she had to work twice as hard to make sure they were safe from people who disguised themselves as friends.
"Yes papa," she answered. Turning to Ki Woong, "Do you wish to expand your business here in Bukchon? Because we really do love how peaceful and quiet the—"
"Oh yes. You know we have good and talented people. Some of them just need the exposure," Reverend Dae-hyun interrupted excitedly, ignoring Min-hee's tone.
Seeing her father wasn't backing her, she said, " And the villagers are somehow skeptical about newcomers. Like I said, we appreciate the peace and quiet."
"Well, I do understand the need for tranquility and that's why I am here," Ki Woong replied.
Giving him a puzzled look, she wondered what the not-so-strange-man was up to. Perhaps, Madam Ji-yeon was actually right—he was going to tear this village apart.
Sensing the drubbed silence filled with curiosity that overtook the room, Ki Woong continued, "You see I came down here for the peace and quiet because I need it myself."
He walked back to his former chair but instead of sitting, he folded his arms and continued, "I am retiring from the entertainment industry."
"Really?" She asked with a shock on her face. "After all the fans, booze, parties and noise, won't you find Bukchon quite tedious?"
He looked at her and smiled slowly. The same smile he had given her at the lake and this made her shudder.
"On the contrary, Miss Jeon," he returned. "I am sure Bukchon isn't just a village. I can't wait to explore every curve and angle of this beautiful village."
He looked at her again with the same smile and continued, "Besides, I really need peace and quiet. Been looking for somewhere peaceful—to settle down and pursue other interests. And I can tell you, the manor seems to be the perfect place."
"Great, Woong," Reverend Dae-hyun said at last. He had been distracting himself by reading a church pamphlet that he didn't notice the tension between the other two people in the kitchen.
"Thanks," Ki Woong nodded. "And from the windows of the sitting room on the top floor, I could see a beautiful lady waiting for me at the lake. An unexpected delight which I couldn't resist and that was what sealed the deal for me."
Min-hee reached for a cloth and started wiping the sink like her life depended on it as she struggled between confusion and embarrassment. Confused on how her father and the Dark Lord had grown close enough to be operating on a first name basis. Embarrassed, that he was actually referring to her as the 'unexpected delight.'
"Oh, the statue!" Reverend Dae-hyun exclaimed. "Yes, it's a lovely piece of sculpture. Brought to the Aera Manor about 400 years ago by the first Master Gong that set his foot on this land and built the manor. He named the manor after his beautiful wife, Aera, who enjoyed playing the harp but died due to a strange illness."
"That's a great story," Ki Woong said. "So the lady waiting for me at the lake was very much beautiful and so, Aera will be the name."
"Oh come on," Min-hee said exasperatedly. "The house has been empty for a very long time, won't it cost a fortune to put it in proper shape? Do you think it's worth it?"
"Min-hee," her father called out to her. "That's none of our business."
"Actually, it's a valid question," said Ki Woong. "But I'm ready and patient for the renovation. So I will pay whatever it takes to put it right. After all, the good things of life take time. . . and money," he added, studying her flushed and stubborn face, before letting his eyes dance around her frail defensive body. His lustful vision unclothed her, gazing from her neck to her cleavage which she had dreadfully failed in hiding away and then down to her knees where the flare flowery skirt stopped.
"I see," she said, ignoring his stare. "I am familiar with that quote."
How dare he do this? she seethed inwardly with anger. Who does he think he is? Huh? What makes him think he could come in here and rile me up?
As Min-hee questioned herself, the answers also came running too — maybe he was just displeased that she couldn't recognize him. Maybe he felt that, just one smile and then she would giggle and come running out of the water into his arms. Perhaps, it wasn't a difficult thing for him to get women. After all, he was very good looking and wealthy. But, Min-hee had no interest in music and entertainment. She hardly knew any celebrity apart from the local ones that are popular in the nearby town.
However, it didn't matter to her if she was free as air, or if he was very wealthy and famous. All she had saved at the back of her mind was that Ki Woong was someone to be weary about. Someone that is very dangerous with a dark shadow on his shoulders .
His prattle about settling down and being in need of peace and quiet was mere claptrap. She'd placed him on a ticking time bomb for just three months and the dark lord would find himself the shortest route out of the village.
As for her, surviving that long wasn't going to be challenging. All she had to do was to endure till the end of this visit.
She whispered inwardly with an unprecedented vehemence, "I can't wait for this to be over."
But her father, Reverend Jeon Dae-hyun was speaking, adding more salt to her open injury. "I've asked Woong to stay for dinner, Jagiya. I hope that is fine."
"It's kimchi and shredded chicken," she responded tensely, whimpering silently. "I don't think there is enough to go around."
"But I thought we were having bossam?," he queried. "I saw the roasted pork in the fridge when I got the beer."
"Goodness me!" thought Min-hee. Frustrated that her father was aloof from what was actually going on.
But she still couldn't blame him because bossam was her father's favorite Friday lunch which she'd prepared before leaving for work that morning.
"That was actually for dinner, " she lied.
"Oh," Reverend Dae-hyun looked vaguely mystified. "Are you not supposed to be seeing Geun tonight?"
"Umm, no," she replied. "Madam Chae, his mother got some terrible news, so he's spending the evening with her."
"Oh," he said, and paused. "That's it then, let's have the bossam. The pork is ready, so it won't take time for the meal to be put together."
"Papa!" Min-hee forced out a laugh. "I'm absolutely sure that Mr Woong here can have better pork than the one cooked in our oven."
"A home-cooked meal in good company?" Ki Woong asked softly. "It seems so sublime. As long as it isn't too much trouble," he added politely.
Min-hee stared venomously at Ki Woong who was smiling mischievously at her. Recreating a real-life sequel of the 1951 European film, 'murder at the cathedral' was the idea that popped into her head.
Instead, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and turned to her father, " Why don't you two have another bottle of beer in the garden," she faced Ki Woong and forced a smile, " When I'm done tidying, I — I'll call when it's ready."
"Wonderful!" Her father responded. "Oh come on Woong, let's sit-out. Shall we?"
Reverend Dae-hyun retrieved the remaining beer from the fridge and handed a bottle to Ki Woong.
As the two made their way to the door, Ki Woong winked flirtingly at a vexed Min-hee before following her father's lead . . .