Pay With Your Heart

514 Getting The Night Started

“Where is this, Hei-Ran?” Eun-Sun confusedly asked as she looked outside the window of Hei-Ran’s car.

She darted her gaze around the place, which seemed to be a dockyard.

The place was dimly lit, but she could see the fleets of boats and ships docked in the harbour. Her brows furrowed with confusion.

She glanced at Hei-Ran, leaning over to the back seat in search of something, and her brows creased at the sight of the mess in her car, one she had missed when she stepped in.

“Why do you have so much stuff in the back of your car? And why do you have a garment bag?” Eun-Sun curiously inquired, combing her eyes through the mess.

Her brows furrowed deeper, “Don’t tell me you’ve resumed your old ways of living in a car since you went back to Su Corp? Is that what you’re doing now?” She asked incredulously, eyeing the garment bag and shoe box, which she believed might contain a shoe and even a purse.

She wouldn’t be too surprised if her suspicions were true as she had once seen Hei-Ran live that way when she started working in her family’s company, but that had changed after the scandal, and she started working for Jin-Hai.

Hei-Ran rolled her eyes as she listened to Eun-Sun’s inquisitive questions. She pulled out a brown envelope and turned to Eun-Sun, who was waiting for an answer. “No, I’m not living in my car, and that isn’t mine.” She indulgingly replied.

“Then whose own is it?” Eun-Sun questioned back, glancing at the garment bag, before staring back at Hei-Ran with a brow cocked.

.....

Hei-Ran chuckled at her curious countenance. That was something she rarely saw on Eun-sun. For years, she was never curious an anything, and she always carried an air of indifference towards everything till Dan-Han showed up in her life.

“First of all, pregnant lady, I don’t know who told you that’s a dress, and I’m not going to tell you either. Secondly, when did you become this curious?” Hei-Ran amusedly cocked a brow at her, and Eun-Sun rolled her eyes and hissed.

“I’m not being inquisitive, you workaholic.” Eun-Sun shot a mock glare at her, which had Hei-Ran chuckling. “Fine, you can keep your secret to yourself, but can you please tell me what we’re doing here?” She asked, looking out to the window again, her gaze coursing around the yard.

Hei-Ran picked up a small paper bag from the backseat. “I want to drop these off. There’s a client who has the same birthday as yours. He’s been with the company for years, and grandpa always sends a gift. He’s one of my grandfather’s closest associates, so as the current president, grandfather asked me to drop it off. I hope you don’t mind me?” She asked, raising an expectant brow.

“Of course, I do mind.” Eun-Sun tersely replied, surprised at the stop-over she had not been informed about. She shot Hei-Ran a hard look as she tried not to scowl.

“And to think you dare ask after we’ve arrived? You’re just worse than Dan-Han.” She irritably hissed and glared at Hei-Ran, who flashed her an apologetic look and pecked her cheek.

“I know you’d understand. That’s why I love you.” Hei-Ran flashed her a sweet smile which had Eun-Sun rolling her eyes.

She looked outside the window again for a possible boat currently being used for a party, but it was all dark outside. It didn’t seem like anything of that sort was happening around there.

She resignedly sighed. “How long will it take? I hope not too long, because I want to go home and sleep. I’m exhausted.” She hissed.

She was exhausted physically and mentally, thanks to a certain someone she hoped not to find on her bed tonight, else there’d be hell.

She looked at her phone again, but there was yet to be a call or a message from him. Earlier today, she had been worried something might have happened to him or the company, and she had called Chang-wok, and to her greatest surprise, she discovered that not only was he fine, but he had left the city for an event and a meeting.

And that he did without telling her.

Hei-Ran silently observed her as Eun-sun scrolled through her phone. She sighed at the disappointed look on Eun-Sun’s face, and she reached for her hand.

“I’m sure he has a good explanation. You and I know President Lee adores you. He’d do anything to make you happy.”

“But obviously not today.” Eun-Sun rebutted. Seeing her morose mood, Hei-Ran didn’t know what to say.

She pushed a smile through her teeth as she put a comforting hand on Eun-Sun’s. “Don’t be sad. We can still make the most of the day. I booked a spot for karaoke, and I made reservations for your favourite black noodles and sweet and sour ribs, just like we’ve always done. And I also bought tickets.” She said, whipping out two tickets for a play they both knew Eun-Sun loved.

Receiving the tickets, Eun-Sun sighed. She knew Hei-Ran was trying to cheer her up, but she really wasn’t in the mood for any of the things she had planned out for the night.

She had only agreed to go out for dinner because they had done it every year since they were young, even with Ji-Sang. She was sure he hated her already since she hadn’t called since he left. It’s been almost a year, and not once has she called him.

“Thanks, Hei-Ran, but I don’t think—”

“There’s no need to think. Just do.” Hei-Ran said, cutting her off. “I ditched Jin-Hai tonight so we can have fun and celebrate your day. So no buts.” Hei-Ran firmly stated.

Eun-Sun quietly stared at her and then at the tickets, and she didn’t know what to say. Maybe it could be a good distraction, and she’d get to think less of Dan-Han and how he had failed to remember her birthday. Or how her parents were suddenly caught up with some social event when she had thought they’d spend this birthday with her as this would be her first with them.

But it seems everyone had plans that didn’t involve her in it.

She deflatedly sighed. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Hei-Ran’s face lit up with a smile which grew wider when Eun-Sun affirmatively nodded.

“Alright! Let’s hurry up and drop this so we can start our night!” Hei-Ran chirped with excitement, but Eun-Sun quickly shook her head.

“I don’t want to go anywhere. I’ll just wait for you to—”

“Nonsense!” Hei-Ran sharply interjected. “I’m not leaving you here alone, and it’s not going to take so much time.” She told her. “Looking at how quiet it is, I think we came too early, and that’s a good thing. We’ll just drop it and skedaddle.” She assured her, but Eun-Sun still wasn’t convinced.

She’d rather wait in the car, but before she could voice out her protest, Hei-Ran hopped out of the car and walked over to her side.

Eun-Sun looked at her exasperatedly as she held the door open for her, pressuring her to get out of the car.

Eun-Sun irritably hissed. “You’re annoying; just know that.”

“And I love you too.” She pulled Eun-Sun out of the car and locked the door, making Eun-Sun sigh.

“I can just wait.”

“No way.” Hei-Ran refuted, pulling Eun-Sun by the hand as she slowly began to lead the way.

Eun-Sun had her gaze darting around as she followed after Hei-Ran. As they drew closer to the boats, she soon realised it wasn’t that dark, and it had only seemed so from the car.

But the place was awkwardly quiet for a place where a party was being held. And wasn’t it a bit suspicious that Hei-Ran knew exactly where they were headed?

“You must have been here before,” Eun-Sun commented as Hei-Ran kept leading the way to wherever this party was.

“Yes, I have. I had a meeting on board the ship earlier this week, so I still know my way around.” Hei-Ran effortlessly replied, and Eun-Sun nodded as she continued to follow quietly, and soon they arrived at a very large yacht, one with a size Eun-Sun had never seen before.

It was outrageously grand.

She looked at the boat in awe and then at Hei-Ran, who was talking to two men who seemed like security as they both wore uniforms.

They bowed to her, and she responded with a quick bow.

The security men checked their bags after Hei-Ran handed over an invitation. Eun-Sun looked around suspiciously. Something seemed weird.

“Did we come too early?” She whispered to Hei-Ran.

“I think so, but we don’t have to wait. The celebrant is already here, and I’m sure he’s already expecting someone from our family. I’ll just drop this off, and we’d be on our way.” Hei-Ran explained, and even though Eun-Sun still felt strange — not sure why she felt so, she nodded and followed Hei-Ran.

“Thank you.” Hei-Ran smiled at the security men, who granted them access to board the boat.

Hei-Ran ushered Eun-Sun ahead while she fell a step behind.

Creasing her brows, Eun-sun looked around the petals of flowers and roses scattered around the deck.

Wasn’t the celebrant an old man? Eun-Sun mused.

“I never knew older men like flowers this much.” She looked behind and said to Hei-Ran.

“Different people with different likes,” Hei-Ran replied with a shrug as they approached the boat’s entrance.

“Good evening, Madams” An usher greeted with a bow and ushered them towards the stairway that led into the yacht, but the moment Eun-Sun stepped in, she instantly froze.

Hanging on the walls beside her were portraits of her — pictures she could not remember taking or, rather, had never taken.

W..what was this? What was going on?

She swivelled around to Hei-Ran, who had a sheepish grin on her face. She opened the bag in her hand and brought out a rose and a card, which she handed over to her.

Eun-Sun was stunned as she looked at Hei-Ran with shocked surprise.

“Happy birthday, love.” She smiled and kissed her cheek, but Eun-Sun was still in a state of shock.

She kept staring at the rose and the card till she slowly received them.

She looked over the card, and on it was the penmanship she knew so well.

‘A THOUSAND REASONS WHY I CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU.’ It read.

“Turn it over,” Hei-Ran told her, and Eun-Sun slowly did, and it read...

“You’re my heart, my soul, my Jewel, my today, my tomorrow, my forever, my destiny and my everything.”

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