FATE, WRITTEN BY US - CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 7
21 SEPTEMBER 2009, 2PM
FIRE ISLAND
After packing their overnight bag and bidding farewell to Kim-Oma, the pair set off for Fire Island. Dressed in casual clothes, no one would know that the man is a multi-billionaire and the lady is a famous singer. The two enjoyed the anonymity.
The two stood in silence on the ferry taking them to Fire Island. Ga-In finally broke the silence.
“Oppa, I’m still worried about Oma… What if something’s wrong with her?”
“Don’t worry, I have already arranged for someone to follow her tomorrow so we would find out which clinic she is going to. Maybe it’s really like what she said, it’s just a routine check-up.”
Seul Ong gave her a reassuring smile. But inside, he was equally worried. Kim-Oma was the closest to a mother figure the two of them ever had in their lives. Without her, he wondered what would have become of the two of them.
Unknowingly, they have reached the shores of Fire Island. The surrounding was vastly different from a metropolis like New York. Instead of high-rise skyscrapers, you see quaint cottages with beautiful gardens. No one was rushing to get to their next meeting and the pace was wonderfully soothing to two persons who live in the fast lane every single day.
“Wow~ This is nice! The weather is nice, the air is fresh, no rush, no work! Oppa, thank you!”
“If I know you were so easily satisfied, I should have just brought you here instead of buying a place here for you.”
“Not your style~ You are a extravagant gift-giver! What was the last gift you bought for your on-again-off-again girlfriend?”
“What on-again-off-again girlfriend? I don’t have one. What I do have is YOU!”
“You reap what you sow~ Who asked you to pamper me in this manner? Now I’m worried if I would ever find another man who could provide for me so unconditionally like you did!”
“You had better! Otherwise no matter how much I earn, it’s not going to be enough.”
Ga-In didn’t bother to answer. She was really enchanted by the surroundings since it was so different from both New York and Seoul. Looking ahead, she saw the Fire Island Lighthouse.
“Oppa! Let’s go over there now!”
Ga-In pulled hard at Seul Ong’s hand, wanting to hasten their footsteps towards the sight she had wanted to see since she was 10.
“In-ah! Slow down! I’m the one carrying ALL the luggage!”
To be honest, Seul Ong was equally excited. To be here, with Ga-In, reminded him that he had come a long way. He looked over at the excited girl beside him.
No, they have come a long way.Two individuals, left behind by their closest kin, only to find each other to form a bond no one could ever break.
No one.After about 15 minutes, they were finally standing at the bottom of the lighthouse. Ga-In turned to look at Seul Ong, all kinds of emotions overwhelming her. She turned and wrapped her arms around Seul Ong’s waist.
“Oppa, thank you. Thank you for keeping your promise.”
Seul Ong used his free hand to hug her shoulders.
“There’s no need to thank me. Without you, I won’t have the determination to make it through every difficult obstacle to become who I am today.”
Ga-In looked up and when their eyes met, they smiled at each other.
“Come, let’s go up to the top!”
“Go up to the top? I thought it’s not for public access?”
“Would you have been satisfied with just standing here and looking at the lighthouse?”
Just then, a man came out of the lighthouse and walked towards them.
“Mr. Im, this way please.”
“Mr. Suez, thank you for allowing us to go up to the top of the lighthouse.”
“Anything for you. If it had not been you, this lighthouse might have already been taken down.”
“What’s Fire Island without the lighthouse? And I had to make sure that it would be here since I had to fulfill a promise.”
“What do you mean?”
Ga-In asked, confusion written all over her face.
“Miss, you are a very lucky lady. A few years back, the officials actually wanted to demolish this lighthouse to make way for the development of a beachfront residential estate. Mr. Im got wind of it and bought over the land that the lighthouse is standing on and then offered the land he already owned on Fire Island to the officials as an exchange.”
Ga-In looked at Seul Ong. She’s got so much she wanted to say but not a single word came out because she knew no words would be enough. Seul Ong simply smiled and shrugged, like this was something he did everyday, for anyone.
“Mr. Suez, you don’t have to wait for us. Why don’t you pass me the key to the lighthouse? Once we are done here, I would bring the key to you?”
“All right then. Here you go. Enjoy yourself here on Fire Island!”
Mr. Suez walked off, shaking his head and thinking to himself that the man must be very much in love with the girl. He took a backward glance at the two of them standing in each other’s arms and wished they would be happy.
“Let’s go!”
Ga-In held Seul Ong’s arm to stop him.
“I know what you want to say. There’s no need for that. So, don’t take it to heart. Let’s go!”
With that, he held her hand and led her up the spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse. The two walked out to the viewing deck and took in the sight in front of them.
The whole expense of the sea greeted them. The setting sun cast a glow on the water and causes it to glitter like precious gems. The breeze brought with it the smell of the sea. Standing there, it felt like they were on top of the world literally.
Who would have thought the wish of a 10-year-old would be fulfilled? Not to mention, a 10-year-old who was abandoned by her own mother. She looked over at Seul Ong again and wondered yet again, what have she done to deserve the love and care of this man?
“Oppa, what would I have become if I didn’t meet you when I did?”
Ga-In whispered, looking at the never-ending expense of the view in front of them.
“I could say the same thing. What would I be if I didn’t have you? So, don’t be burdened by all this. What you have given to me can never ever be bought with money, do you understand? I only want you to be happy, that’s all.”
“Oppa…”
The tears that had threatened to fall since the moment she heard that he had bought the land where the lighthouse stands just to keep his promise finally broke free.
“Aish~ I didn’t do all this to see your tears. Don’t cry. Silly girl!”
He cupped her face with both his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears.
As the sun began its descent into the horizon, the wind also became colder. Ga-In started to rub her arms to ward off the cold.
“Let’s go. If you want to come back here again tomorrow, we could just ask Mr. Suez for the key again. Now, let’s go and see your birthday present.”
“You mean this is NOT it?”
“Can we stay here overnight?”
With that, he turned and went back inside the lighthouse. He turned to see Ga-In still standing on the viewing deck.
“Hurry up! I’m starving! Which reminds me, we have to go grocery shopping first. You shall cook dinner! Let’s go before it gets too dark to see.”
Can a person die from being too thankful? That was Ga-In’s last thought as she turned away from the viewing deck.
“Oppa! Wait for me! It’s dark!”
22 SEPTEMBER 2009
SEOUL, 2PMJo Kwon had just finished his recording for SeBaKwi when Mi Sun approached him.
“Kwon-ah~ I heard that you are the new groom of WGM! Congratulations! Who’s the lucky bride?”
“Mi Sun noona~ Thank you! My wife is Ga-In noona~”
Jo Kwon’s expression was so joyous that it made Mi Sun curious.
“Aigoo~ You are that happy to be paired up with Ga-In? I’m looking forward to watching your first episode!”
With that, Jo Kwon was reminded again of the disastrous recording two days ago. His smile was immediately replaced by a deep frown.
“Noona, the first recording was a disaster! I think Ga-In noona probably hates the fact that I’m her husband.”
“What happened? Come, tell noona about it and see if I can help.”
Jo Kwon knew Mi Sun looked upon him like her own son and since his mother wasn’t totally receptive towards Ga-In as his wife, Mi Sun might be his best bet at getting a more matured female view on the situation. He launched into his story immediately, telling Mi Sun everything that had happened.
“Aigoo! That’s bad. Any idea why she doesn’t like to celebrate her birthday?”
“No… I don’t know… Because she seemed fine about celebrating it with Seul Ong hyung.”
“Seul Ong? You mean Im Seul Ong? They know each other?”
“Yes, they know each other and seemed really close too. After all, he’s a major shareholder in her recording company.”
“That’s strange.”
Mi Sun wasn’t unaware of Im Seul Ong and the influence he has over the media and well, Korea’s economy. At 24, he had climbed to a position where many could only dream of. His name had been associated with Ga-In many times but all those rumours would disappear overnight.
“Noona, what should I do?”
“The way I look at it, the best way to reassure Ga-In of your reliability and sincerity would be to look for a proper home for the two of you. While a container box made for good laughs, it’s a shaky foundation for a marriage. So, maybe you should suggest to Jung PD that you want the two of you to have a proper apartment. When’s your next recording for WGM?”
“It’s not been confirmed yet. It seems Ga-In noona usually block out the days after her birthday till she’s ready to get back to work. Plus, she’s currently in New York with Seul Ong hyung.”
“Is it? This might work to your advantage. Talk to Jung PD about wanting to look for an apartment and see what she says? I have to go off now. I hope I have been of help. Thank you for your hard work today.”
“Noona, thank you. You don’t know how much your advice means to me.”
With that, Mi Sun went off, leaving Jo Kwon alone with his own thoughts. He decided that he should heed Mi Sun noona’s advice and call Jung PD. But the failure of his last so-called perfect plan loomed and caused him to hesitate. But he told himself that if he didn’t do anything about their home, it might be worse. He picked up his courage and dialed Jung PD’s number.
“Hello? Jung PD? Jo Kwon here. Sorry to disturb you but I have something to suggest…”
21 SEPTEMBER 2009, 7PM
FIRE ISLAND“Oppa, what do you want to eat?”
Both of them just arrived at the grocery store to buy food for dinner and the next day.
“You decide since you are the chef tonight.”
“Then shall we have seafood stew? The seafood looks so good!”
Seul Ong knew she choose seafood stew because it was his favourite.
“Sure, but don’t add in any shellfish.”
“Why?”
“Because you are allergic.”
Ga-In was so focused on making a good meal for Seul Ong that she totally forgot that she was allergic to shellfish. She stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.
“How about we grill some seafood and you can cook a different kind of stew?”
“I guess that would be best.”
With the menu decided and the shopping done, they were finally on their way to their accommodation for the night.
After driving for another 30 minutes, they stopped in front of a
house“We are here.”
“Im Seul Ong! You’ve got to be kidding me! You bought this for me? For my birthday?! How often am I going to be here?!”
“You don’t like it?”
Seul Ong showed the first sign of uncertainty. He had earmarked this house from the beachfront residential project as a present for Ga-In. He thought she would love the privacy and the gorgeous view of the ocean.
How could Ga-In let him know that it was because she liked it too much that caused her reaction? And they have not even entered the house yet. It’s really overwhelming.
“Well, whatever it is, we have to stay here for the night. Let’s go inside first and get dinner started. I’m STARVING.”
Seul Ong tried to make light of the situation and hide his disappointment by walking into the house without a second glance at Ga-In.
“Oppa…”
“It’s ok. If you really don’t like it, I can always put it on the market. This is prime location. I would still make a profit out of it. Then you can go and choose something else that you want for your birthday.”
By this time, Ga-In had also entered the house. What she saw caused her jaws to drop. She ran to the living room where one side of the wall was just glass. The view of the ocean was to die for!
“The view upstairs is even better. Come, let me give you a tour.”
They climbed the sleek staircase to the second floor and walked to the side facing the ocean.
“This is the master bedroom. Your room, if you choose to accept the house.”
Seul Ong opened the door and the sight that greeted Ga-In gave her a shock.
“Oppa… It’s exactly like…”
“I want a 4-poster bed with ivory-coloured canopy…”
“If I could wake up to the view of the ocean…”
“A walk-in closet for all the beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories that I’m going to own one day…”Those words, written a lifetime ago to comfort her own heart that she was going to have a great life ahead, everything was as how she had described in her diary. Which meant…
“YOU! You read my diary?”
“Did I? Oh maybe I did! But aren’t you glad that I did?”
“How could you read my diary? That’s my private thoughts!”
“You can hit me after I’m done showing you the other room. Come on~”
“I don’t think I can take any more surprises.”
“Just one more, then we will definitely go start dinner.”
Seul Ong led the way out of the master bedroom and walked to the room next to it. He opened the door to reveal an art studio. The entire ceiling was glass that allowed the sunlight to pour in during the day. Right now, stars were peeking through the ceiling and the moon was shedding its magical charm.
“I have not bought any canvas or paints since I do not know whether you would want the house. Not to mention, I do not know if you would even have time to stay in this house much. But I remembered your childhood dream was to become an artist. So I thought I shall have this room prepared in case you are no long popular as a singer. It’s a back-up career plan.”
“YA! How can you say that?! If I’m no longer popular, it does you no good either since you are the boss of my recording company.”
Ga-In had almost forgotten her own childhood dream. How can someone who didn’t even know where she would be send to the next day have dreams? This was probably one of the earliest conversations she had with Seul Ong when they were children. How long ago was that?
18 years ago.It’s amazing how much a person can experience within a year. She pulled herself out of memory lane and looked around the house. They have indeed come a long way from when they first met.
“So? Do I keep it for you or should I put it on the market for you? I must say that I would draw a commission from you if you choose to put it on the market.”
“How can I sell away my dreams when they have come true?”
Seul Ong heaved a sigh of relief.
“Alright, since that’s settled, Chef Son, please start dinner. I’m DYING of hunger!”
With that, the two of them went down to the kitchen and started the preparations for their first meal.
Over dinner, Ga-In asked Seul Ong to do her a favour. She wanted to get a sign made with the words,
Dreams Come True”.
That was what she had decided to name the house.
Author's Note:It seems like a lot of people is questioning exactly how old the characters are. So, here's the breakdown:
Jo Kwon - Born 1989
Ga-In - Born 1987
Seul Ong - Born 1985
Therefore, in 2009, they are
JK - 20
GI - 22
SO - 24
18 years ago, in 1991, they are
JK - 2
GI - 4
SO - 6
I know, it would seem like I still have not revealed anything of value. But read carefully, the hints are there. Have a guess, and see if you are anywhere near when I reveal it bit by bit.