Unraveling Stage (1/1)

Chapter 32: Unraveling Stage  “Unraveling stage in a relationship is the stage where you found your partner’s bad habits.”    March 19, 2022  “Mr. Park.” Jihyo greeted the driver who’s already waiting at the runway. Jihyo just landed back in Seoul from a quick trip to Jeju with her father. It’s currently 10 p.m.“Sajangnim.” The driver greeted back the heiress with a bow. “Jihyo-ya.” Chairman Song called before he entered his car. “Ne, appa?”“You’re coming for a lunch next Sunday, right?”Jihyo chuckled at her father’s question. “Of course. Can I stay the night again? I slept well last night, it felt like I’m back in pre-school.” “Of course, you can stay the night. It’s your home as much as it is mine. Also, the maid always kept the guest room besides your room clean, in case you’re coming with a guest.” He’d like to believe that his daughter had been an angel all this time.Jihyo shook her head lightly. “Mm hmm, whatever helps you sleep at night, dad.” Jihyo sometimes address her father the New Yorkers’ way, as a joke. “Good night, darling. Drive carefully, Mr. Park.” Chairman Song bid a goodbye with a little wave. “Where to, sajangnim?”“Geumho-dong, Mr. Park.” Jihyo answered, resting her head at the headrest and closing her eyes. “Lee Kwangsoo-ssi’s new place?”Jihyo hummed. “The one and only.” About an hour later, Kwangsoo opened his apartment door to find Jihyo standing there with bags on her hands. “Tteok-bokki?” Jihyo asked the confused man, lifting one of the bags for him to see.“You’re crazy, noona. But come in, I was just about to order something myself.” Jihyo knew that Kwangsoo moved to this new apartment a few weeks ago, (or months? Jihyo is not sure) but she hasn’t had the time to visit. “Is Sunbin’s here?”“Ani, she’s living with her parents, noona. You know that already.” Kwangsoo took the warm tteok-bokki out while Jihyo looked around the place. “You’re saying that she didn’t come here at all?” Jihyo found a hair’s brush that’s too girly for Kwangsoo to use and lifted it mockingly to show Kwangsoo. “Fine, only when she can find an excuse.” Kwangsoo gave in but still keeping most things to himself. His girlfriend is practically living there with him, but fortunately, she went back to her parents’ place tonight. “Whatever. You’ve been dating her for a long time, and I know you’re clingy at night.” Jihyo hummed. “Come here noona, food’s ready.” Kwangsoo called, ignoring the comment about him being clingy. “So where did you go this time?” he didn’t give her a chance to even lift the chopsticks. Jihyo chuckled softly. “You won’t believe me.”“Well, try me, noona. I’ve known you since forever, so your crazy ideas can’t really surprise me anymore.” Jihyo lowered her eyes to focus on the food and avoided eye-contacts with Kwangsoo. “To Jongkook oppa’s house in Anyang, well it’s his parents’ house but you know what I mean.”Kwangsoo threw his chopsticks down. “You’re kidding me.”Jihyo shrugged. “I’m not.” “I have to admit that you really know how to hide, noona. I bet Jongkook hyeong didn’t even think that you’d go to his childhood house.”Jihyo shrugged once again. “I didn’t really think much when I leave, I ended up there before I even realized.” Kwangsoo continued with his late-night snack, giving Jihyo time to pin-point what she’s going to share with him. “I… called Sienna for the first time in almost 8 years.”Kwangsoo looked up in surprise. “Is it that serious that you feel the need to contact her?” he knew all about Sienna Gold, of course. In fact, she’s one of his good friends from New York and they hung out a lot of times when she’s still in charge of Jihyo’s weekly therapy. “I had something to work on, Kwangsoo-ya. But unlike before, I willingly came looking for her.” Jihyo admitted. Kwangsoo shared a small smile. “Jalhaesso-yo, noona.” He said, tone softened. “Why does everyone keep praising me?” “What? Did you meet someone before you came here?” Jihyo nodded. “My father, we even went to Jeju to visit my mother’s grave. I just landed, actually.”Kwangsoo groaned. “You’ve been to a lot of places. Do you know that Jongkook hyeong almost lost his mind? Did you at least contact him, noona?” “I came to my father first, and then my mother. I just landed back from Jeju, and I came here.” Jihyo listed, making Kwangsoo clicked his tongue. “So, you haven’t contacted him at all?” Jihyo grinned a little. “I have to apologize to you first, you punk.” “Is the world ending? You really came here because you felt bad??” Kwangsoo’s eyes widened. “Can you repeat the apology because I need to have it recorded here.” He had his phone on his hand.“You heard me the first time, I’m not going to say it again.” Jihyo shoved a mouthful of tteok-bokki while Kwangsoo laughed. “Don’t even apologize to me noona, it’s weird.” Kwangsoo said after a few minutes passed. “But still. After all, you’re the only one who can point my bullshit out, Kwangsoo-ya.”“What about Jongkook hyeong?” Kwangsoo asked. “What about him?” Kwangsoo scoffed loudly. “You know what I mean, noona. Did he ever point out your bullshit for you?” “He… wrapped it nicely though, like he’s scared to hurt me with his words, unlike you.” Kwangsoo made a face. “So yes, he’s capable to do that, don’t worry.”“I never doubted him, just so you know, noona.” Jihyo smiled but keep her head down. “I know, you punk. You’d say something months ago otherwise.” “Oooh, so you remember what I said years ago when you started dating that coward?” Jihyo laughed. “How many times do I have to tell you that Tyler is older than you? Give him some respect.”“Doesn’t change the fact that he’s a coward. It didn’t suit you, having a coward as a partner, noona.” “Wae? Because cowards can’t handle me?” Kwangsoo nodded at that. “And you’d be bored if you date a coward.” Jihyo shrugged.“Let me ask you something, noona.” Kwangsoo proposed. Jihyo gave a small nod. “You never ran out of topic when you’re talking with Jongkook hyeong, right?” Jihyo didn’t expect that question so she took some time to think it through. “Well, we have our businesses so there’s always something to talk about. Why did you ask that?” Kwangsoo smiled. “Then you’re all set, noona.”“Mwoya, Kwangsoo-ya? What even do you mean?” “That’s all you need, noona. Someone to discuss business with, for the rest of your life. It’s a perfectly balanced relationship in your book, am I right?” that knocked some sense into Jihyo because he was completely right. Kim Jongkook came from the same background as her, he came to the world with gold spoon on his mouth, he also has his own responsibility to his company, they have a lot of similarities. “He’ll understand you the best, so what’s there to worry about, noona?” Jihyo nodded. “I asked Sienna about it, do you know what she said?”“What did she say?” Kwangsoo asked curiously.“She said because I always have my walls high as ‘protection’, I’m just scared that it’s not going to work out and I’m going to get hurt. That’s why I bounced back to where I was years ago.” Kwangsoo eyed his noona’s face carefully. “What did you say to her after that?”“I said she was right, and I asked her to fly here to help me.”“So, she’s coming here?” Jihyo nodded. “Nice, I have to treat her to dinner and drinks, she’s the first doctor that I knew can handle her drinks well.” “Yah, she’s coming to work, Kwangsoo-ya. Not to entertain you.” Kwangsoo laughed. “She was also working back in New York when we got drunk in a random bar, noona.”Jihyo pouted. “Stop being so possessive of your doctor, noona. Sienna is also my friend.” “Whatever.” Jihyo continued to pout. “Now that you have the solution to help your… issues, when will you give my poor hyeong a call?” Kwangsoo switched the topic back. Jongkook deserved more than a simple message that she came out of her hiding. “Later, do you know when Somin and Sechan—”“No, I don’t.” Kwangsoo cut her off. “And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you just to help you delay the apology Jongkook hyeong deserved.”“Yaaah…” Jihyo whined. “No, noona. I will tell Sienna about this, that you still have your stupid pride to say a simple apology.” “I don’t have a—wait, why is my pride stupid, Kwangsoo-ya?” Jihyo glared. “Because it is, noona. That hyeong is madly in love with you, lower your damn pride, for God’s sake.” Kwangsoo stressed the word pride to make Jihyo understand. “Ugh, fine. But can I stay the night here? You have an empty room there.” Jihyo checked, and he did have a guest room. Kwangsoo rolled his eyes. “It’s because of my dongsaeng, noona. Do you know that she came here when she was drunk? To avoid my parents’ scolds.”“You used to crash on my place when you were drunk too, I’m sure your sister is much more manageable than you.” “Fine. But give Jongkook hyeong a call, just to make sure you won’t change your mind tomorrow morning, noona.” Jihyo scoffed. “I won’t change my mind.”“Call him. Here. Right this second, noona.” “Ugh, you’re so annoying.” Jihyo pulled her phone out, took out the back-up number and inserted the usual number. Kwangsoo took the back-up card and broke it into two pieces. “You don’t need it, noona.” Kwangsoo said before Jihyo can complain.“So damn annoying.” Jihyo grumbled. She hesitated for a moment before pressing the call button. It rang only once before Jongkook picked the call up. “Where are you?”Kwa