Found You - Woosan

Chapter 11

As they walked into the room, the atmosphere was electric. Decorations adorned every corner and the sound of laughter and chatter filled the air. The two gentlemen made their way through the crowd, trying to make the most of the festive ambiance. San noticed a group of three men in the distance, waiting for him. As they all met up, they made an effort to enjoy themselves. People came up to San to congratulate him and wish him a happy birthday. After a while, Yeosang's attention was drawn to a familiar face. His expression shifted, indicating a hint of distaste, before he turned back to the group. "Ji-yoo, along with her parents and your mom, are heading over here," he informed them.

As the boys' eyes landed on the girl, their demeanor underwent a noticeable change. Ji-yoo approached her with her trademark over-the-top smile, while San's expressions grew closed-off. He didn't harbor any ill will towards the girl, but she was just not his type. In fact, she was the complete opposite of what he found attractive - unlike Wooyoung, who he had his eye on. The girl had short, dirty blond hair and piercing dark green eyes. She exuded a flirty and outgoing personality, which San knew was directed towards him. Despite his best efforts to hint that he wasn't interested, she seemed to be oblivious to his cues.

The group of friends stood together, trying their best to put on polite smiles as they watched the four people approaching them. Each person had their own mixed feelings about the approaching Ji-yoo. Hongjoong didn't have any particular opinion about her, but Seonghwa couldn't help feeling that she was trying too hard to fit in with the group. Yeosang, on the other hand, was quite disgusted with Ji-yoo due to his own loyalty to Wooyoung. Meanwhile, Jongho found Ji-yoo's clearly fake personality to be quite annoying. 

As Ji-yoo approached the group, she immediately latched onto San. Despite his growing annoyance, San kept up a polite facade, not wanting to come off as rude. He greeted Ji-yoo's parents with a smile, knowing that as soon as he had the opportunity, he would cut all ties with her family. The entire situation was rather uncomfortable for the group, but they all tried their best to remain cordial and polite.

San's mother shifted her focus to the group of four boys who were standing nearby, and her intentions were quite apparent. She seemed to be eager for them to leave so that she could have a private conversation with San about the possibility of arranging a marriage between him and Ji-yoo. Despite the obvious hint, however, the boys didn't budge from San's side. Like Wooyoung, they too had a strained relationship with San's mother, finding her to be overly demanding and self-centered.

Yeosang, in particular, seemed to be silently scrutinizing Ji-yoo from head to toe, his face conveying a mixture of disdain and disapproval. He watched with a hint of disgust as the young woman clung to San like a koala, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air. It was clear that the boys were not going to be easily persuaded to leave, no matter how much San's mother may have wished it.

San's mother, clearly agitated by the boys' apparent obliviousness to her hints, finally decided to speak up. "Excuse me, boys," she began, her tone betraying her irritation. "If it's not too much trouble, would you mind giving us a moment of privacy?" The four boys immediately turned their attention to her, with Jongho and Hongjoong clearly unamused and Seonghwa appearing slightly irritated, but keeping his thoughts to himself. Yeosang on the other hand was more vocal as he spoke with a playful yet annoyed expression on his face. "Mrs. Choi," he said, a smug expression on his face, "while I understand your desire for a private conversation with your son, I must point out that this isn't exactly the most private setting, is it? We are, after all, in the midst of a celebration with people all around us." Yeosang said in a smug tone which only infuriated San's mother further. 

Yeosang's comment elicited a light chuckle from Seonghwa and Jongho, while Hongjoong and San smiled in response. Ji-yoo, who was clinging on to San, noticed the latter's smile and was about to comment on it when San's father entered the room. All eyes turned towards him as he greeted everyone in a formal manner. San's mother, who had been standing nearby, caught his gaze and instantly looked down, a hint of guilt in her expression. San's father appeared somewhat annoyed with her, as he had previously instructed her not to meddle in their son's love life. However, he quickly shifted his focus to the group of boys, his lips curving into a small smile. "You young lads can carry on with your fun and enjoy the party," he declared, causing all five boys to scramble away in a hurry, leaving Ji-yoo behind.

"Good day, Beak-hyun. Your wife, EunHye, has extended an intriguing proposal to us, and we would be delighted to discuss it further with you," Ji-yoo's father declared, a genial smile gracing his features as he glanced at San's father. "Is that so? I must confess I have not been apprised of any arrangement. Please do enlighten me on the matter," Beak-hyun replied, his eyes flickering over his spouse with a hint of irritation.

EunHye continued to look at the floor embarrassed at the situation and how her plan had failed. Ji-yoo's father looked surprised as he thought that San's mother would have explained the deal to San's father. Ji-yoo's father then spoke to break the tension that filled the area, "W-Well the deal was about our children and that if San were to marry our daughter then-". "No." San's father quickly cut him off not letting him finish the sentence. "Dae-jung you have been a wonderful business partner over the years. Not many people are willing to work with the mafia after all, but I will not allow my son to enter an arranged marriage. Now if the two shared love for each other then I would say to just let it happen naturally but unfortunately, they do not."

"Now I'm not completely sure if Ji-yoo is interested in San but I can tell you that my son is in love with someone else. Unfortunately, that person is not here with us right now but I can assure you that my son will not fall out of love with him anytime soon." San's father said as politely as he could. "If my son were to marry your daughter then they would be stuck in a loveless marriage and it would affect both of our children in very horrible ways." 

Ji-yoo's father nodded in agreement as he took in San's father's concerns. He loved his daughter and he didn't want to see her hurt and stuck in a loveless marriage so he agreed with San's father. "You said that the person San loved wasn't here and you also mentioned that it was a he... I'm not trying to be rude or anything but I can't help but be curious, Is the boy San loved Wooyoung?" Ji-yoo's father said curiously which caused Ji-yoo, Ji-yoo's mother, and San's mother to look irritated. 

San's father noticed this change in attitude and found it very strange. Now San never told his father that he loved Wooyoung, but from the day the two boys met San's father just knew. He observed the boys' actions with each other over the years and confirmed his suspicions when he overheard one of San and Seonghwa's conversations. "All though it's not really any of your business, yes." San's father said as he continued to observe the girl's body language. Ji-yoo bit her lip in frustration, Ji-yoo's mother clenched her fist, and San's mother looked visibly pissed off. San's father found this very strange... why were they acting like this?