Summer Child

The End of Winter. (part. 1)

"Omma!"

Everyone was dead silence as the mother-daughter locked eyes upon each other, with Jeong Hyeok stood awkwardly in between. He put the gun he had subtly drawn previously back to its holster on his back, the small movement that only Mr. Kim caught as the bodyguard's sharp eyes flickered briefly towards him.

"When did you arrive at Seoul?" Seri finally asked and the look at her mother's stiff jaw caused her to lower her tone.

"Two hours ago," her mother said, much calmer than her expression. Then she glanced sharply to Mr. Yoon Senior, "and about 20 minutes after I ask your father why you are not staying in the weekly apartment you rented and why I saw your ex-boyfriend in one of our calls, when he was supposed to be stuck behind the DMZ"

Hearing his name, though not explicitly called, caused him to shoot his gaze to the ground. Now he understood why Mr. Yoon Senior had that look before. A calm Mr. Choi who spoke with polite tone was way more dangerous than a rogue runaway convict from North Korea.

Seri was about to answer her mother when Mrs. Choi said asked if they were going to stand all day in the hallway like that. Only then Seri asked her mother to come, and the whole bodyguard team moved aside to let her come inside. Jeong Hyeok and Mr. Yoon (and a bodyguard who was tasked to push his wheelchair) were the only people left behind on the threshold. He shot a look to his girlfriend's father, and for once, they had a look of understanding between them.

The look of two people whose faiths were going to be decided upon them.

The sound of Seri calling roused them, and together they exhaled deeply before moving to face the women of their lives.

~

"Three days, Mom?" Seri asked with eyes wide open after her mother pretty much monologued her plan for her daughter. Mrs. Choi shot a look to her daughter, and at that moment Jeong Hyeok was sure that his girlfriend didn't inherit her laser eyes solely from her father. It was cute to think that the three shared a trait as a family, though it diminished immediately once those eyes were directed at him.

"Yes" Mrs. Choi answered and swept a look towards Mr. Yoon Senior and Jeong Hyeok, as if challenging them to counter her. So far, both men were wise enough to not to. "I don't want you to spend more time than necessary in this country, having that lunatic villain coming after you"

"But Joo Ri-ah" Mr. Yoon Senior added, and Jeong Hyeok detected that longing once more in his voice. "We can't be sure that this person wouldn't chase Seri to Zurich. That's why I agree to let Seri stayed in Seoul, because I can protect her better here"

"Are you saying that letting our daughter stays in the city, where you know for sure that this Cho Cheol Gang has an underground network already is better than letting her come home, to the city that she has known as the back of her hand, where we don't know whether this villain can reach her or not?" she asked him back, and for once Jeong Hyeok looked at the man in wheelchair with pity. "I know you might not have the best sense of judgement on a lot of things, Yoon Jeung Pyeong, but considering this is our daughter's safety, I expected more from you. Which is a misplaced expectation, honestly speaking"

'Ouch' Jeong Hyeok thought in his head and tried his best to keep his face impassive. It was such a slap and in amazement he saw how Mr. Yoon senior took it with dejected sigh and not a stint of defiance. As if he was okay being treated like this, something that he never thought someone with high position as him would.

"Omma" Seri said in calmer tone, with a tone that Jeong Hyeok recognized his girlfriend had used several times to him with regards to her father. And only at that moment he really understood the dynamic between this odd family. About how badly Seri's father wanted to be part of their lives, and how actively Mrs. Choi discouraged his intention, but at the same time still respect Seri's wishes to have her father in her life.