About You: Love & Sacrifice

Unexpected Request

"Inputation this month is stable. But not increased. Three new advertising sponsors have signed contracts. When compared to New Look magazine, our company is 5% superior to them. Good in terms of layout, advertising, promotion and even sales."

Younha presented his report very well in front while sliding the powerpoint slide with the remote, he was so good in terms of compiling the results and explaining it to the finance head of—Pak Park Jisang, he was so good in terms of compiling the results and explaining it to the financial head of<TAG1>Pak Park, also the director is her ex-husband. Lee Jihoon's.

"What about the ad cancellation, isn't the product from Dallkon Corp. resigning?" Tickling Mr. Jisang wants to know.

"For that they signed a fine of 10% according to the agreed contract" said Younha. "Because of the scandal there were customers who protested the slow delivery made their orders slightly decrease."

"Yes, still we have to be careful about accepting contracts." Jihoon sighed as he flipped through the printed paper that Younha reported. "But that doesn't matter. That ten percent fine is not small."

Mr. Jisang nodded. "At least it can add a little bit to this month's chart of improvement."

Jihoon looked straight at Younha who was cleaning up his files and laptop, a small smile coming from the director's lips in the dark meeting room. "For these three sponsorship products is a fast food company, before signing a contract with them I want to do a review first." Jihoon was still staring at Younha. "But I can't be alone."

Younha who was pulling a flash pretending not to hear and then permission to go out first.

"Local observation?" Mr. Jisang frowned, then laughed humorously. "Sir Jihoon doesn't need to do that. We've got a field team ready to spread across Korea."

"It was so thought of me, but there's no harm in me jumping straight in."

"Well, if you need a partner, the field team leader can help. "Bu Jihan is very—"

"Younha-ssi, will you be my observation partner?" Jihoon cut Mr. Jisang off and looked at Younha who was standing next to the meeting table. At first he wanted permission to leave first but was intercepted by this annoying question.

"W-why me?" Younha. "The field team is definitely better. I'm not good at judging products."

"Because you're the management team, you just need to take note of some of the core conversations." Jihoon insistent. "Quite simple and easy. I guess Oxford graduates like you are very smart."

Younha was a bit stung when Jihoon said about the university when he was in college. Suddenly Younha was upset, he looked at Jihoon with a nagging look without heeding the man's status as a director.

"Sorry, I'll think about it first." Younha bowed respectfully, then left the meeting room with a slight stomp of her feet. When his steps reached the doorstep, he accidentally passed a woman who added to his frustration. Hyejin, smiled gently at Younha but instead made Younha even more upset until Younha's fist strengthened until she saw her knuckle whiten.

He wants to punch this woman in front of him if he doesn't remember that she's the daughter of the company's commissioner. Younha simply resignedly held back her emotions, then bowed respectfully and left without a word.

...*****...

"Jeez, you surprised me sir!" younha grumbled when he saw the sturdy man had been in front of him.

"Will you go home?" Jihoon asked as he washed his hands in the sink, flapped his ten fingers and looked at the wide mirror before him. "Do you have a plan?"

Younha clucked bitterly as she tidied her bag. "Yes, as always pick up the kids. Yeonjun wants to eat out tonight."

"Can I come?" Jihoon was a bit closer to Younha. "I don't know what I want to eat either."

"I didn't take you."

"I don't need your invitation. I'm including myself."

Younha screeched, then turned around to look at Jihoon and subconsciously if the distance between the two was very close now. Maybe just one snore. Younha slightly held her breath and dropped her gaze. "What about your woman." Decih Younha. "Isn't he jealous and very clingy to you. I'm afraid you won't be given a ration if you keep quiet go with me."

Jihoon let out a long and heavy sigh, always Hyejin being his defeat against Younha.

"You're still upset with me?" Tukas Jihoon held off Younha who was about to leave. "I'm sorry Younha. Maybe we need to talk."

Younha brushed off the man's hand until it came off. "There's nothing to talk about between us. There's no saying." Seringai Younha emphasized his sentence. "We're done and there's nothing to talk about anymore."

"You just don't understand."

As Younha's gaze sharpened, he looked up to see more clearly the man before him. His eyes began to crimson withstanding emotions, his thin lips smiling wryly which looked pitiful.

"You're saying I don't understand?" Younha frowned. "Yes, I don't understand and you always say that I don't understand when it comes to Hyejin. What are you hiding?"

"You can't believe me even if I'm being honest.

"About Hyejin?" Younha said with a slanted smile. "Whatever your reason is for that woman, I don't care and don't want to hear it at all. So, everything about your heart. I don't have the right to interfere."

Younha left without another word, quite a simple gesture that made Jihoon again unable to dodge.

...*****...

Younha took Yeonjun with her as they walked down the sidewalk decorated with flickering lights. After picking up her two sons from Mirae's apartment, Younha invites them to dinner outside as she promised this morning.

Yeonjun was very enthusiastic, several times the boy pointed at the store board while spelling out the letters Hangul displayed slowly, showing Younha that he could spell even a little. Younha was very proud of her adorable son.

After ten minutes of walking, they finally arrived at a simple restaurant that was slightly entered from a narrow alley near the Hyundai apartment. The restaurant Younha frequented with Jinan when she was single. The nuances and atmosphere are still the same, there are only a few decorations and yellow lights in some places.

"Mama, when can Seojun eat chicken?" Yeonjun asked with a mouth full of fried chicken. "The love of eating biscuits continues."

Yeonjun gave an anxious laugh, swinging his tiny legs under the table while enjoying his meal. "Mama, I said I'd be home tonight."

Younha was somewhat shocked by Yeonjun's words, a little anticipation if the boy's words were true. "Maybe it's not so, I'm busy." Younha said.

"Yeonjun isn't lying. Dad will bring a big stuffed rabbit later." cried Yeonjun enthusiastically.

Younha stroked her son's head slowly, a slight smile just like that over this shocking news. But if you remember the incident this afternoon Younha became furious again. He was very lazy to see the face of the ex-husband but his heart was arguing to see the love of the man to his children. Jihoon is loving, his love for Yeonjun and Seojun is sincere.

If not for the children who still needed his father's attention, perhaps Younha had separated them from the annoying man. All this for the sake of Yeonjun and Seojun. Younha has to be patient.

...*****...

"But my sister is sleepy." Yeonjun's words were so real the seventh time. The boy was very full after eating the chicken earlier and was immediately sleepy. He said he wanted to wait for Dad to come. "Mama, why are you so long?"

"Maybe Dad didn't come. Brother just sleep?" Tukas Younha, who was still holding Seojun, won the baby to fall asleep as well.

"But I want to see the stuffed rabbit I want to buy." Yeonjun pouted.

Younha puts Seojun in her crib when the boy is asleep, then approaches Yeonjun and leads him to his own room. Younha broke Yeonjun's small body and pulled the blanket up to his chest.

"Later if you really go home, the rabbit mama put beside her brother to accompany her to sleep, hm?" Younha patted Yeonjun's back as if to convince him that his father was really going home. "So when you wake up you see the doll."

Yeonjun nodded. Younha got up leaving her son's room after falling asleep. He glanced at the clock in the middle room, ten o'clock at night. Inwardly rebuking Jihoon who dared to make a promise to children but could not keep it.

Two steps into the room, the bell rang. Younha knew who it was. He opened the door of the apartment and thought that the guest was Jihoon. The man was carrying a large Rabbit doll and a box of sweet spicy chicken as well as a few bottles of Soju.

"I thought you were just lying to Yeonjun." Ketus Younha crossed hands.

"Am I not welcome to come in?"

"It's late, it's not good to receive a male guest this late" Younha judges said without seeing the interlocutor. "Other than lovers."

Jihoon instantly snatched in just like that, ignoring Younha who was murmuring on the doorstep. Younha was surprised, he looked outside on the right and left making sure no neighbors saw a single parent seem to bring in men at night.

"The child is asleep?" Tanya Jihoon put the chicken and Soju over the kitchen counter.

"Do you not see the clock, almost eleven o'clock at night and what kind of father you do not know the bedtime of his own son." said Younha while looking at Jihoon's innate, and, he put the chicken and Soju on the table. "Just put the doll next to Yeonjun. I told your son."

Jihoon smiled, then stepped foot into the son's room and placed the doll right next to the boy.

"Eat and drink while you have time to relax." Younha shifted the chicken and Soju in front of Jihoon as he began to sit at the dining room table. "You can leave anytime, I'll take a break."

Jihoon held onto Younha's elbow which would step until the body turned again. "My company, I just need a drinking buddy." Tukas Jihoon with a twinkle begged.

"Tomorrow should work—"

"Tomorrow Sunday." Jihoon. "Cih, what is your mind forced to work continuously until you forget the day? Sit down, accompany me just this once."

Younha breathed a deep breath and sat down on the chair beside Jihoon and started pouring Soju into his glass. They told each other even though Younha was more silent and just cleared his throat in response. Her ex-husband is very complaining, whatever he feels he always tells.

"Did you deliberately bring want to make me drunk?"

"You think?" Jihoon smiled. "Calm down, I won't steal a chance."

Twenty minutes passed. Jihoon was a strong drinker, already one bottle and he was still sane unlike Younha who was only half a bottle had already talked to himself and was moving around incoherently.

"Sleep, you're drunk." Tukas Jihoon sipped his glass slowly.

"No, I'm still conscious."

"You've drunk Younha-ya."

"Shttt, I want to see this handsome face." Younha's two hands covered Jihoon's cheeks and stared at the man's eyes intensely. "You're bad, you're a bad man." Younha beat Jihoon's chest while continuing to say that the man was a bad person and had no feelings.

Jihoon just blinked, wanting to ignore Younha's drunken talk but all the woman's words were very clear and true. He could only blame himself while listening to Younha's words which only contained hate speech to him.

The night is getting late and Jihoon holds Younha to his room when she is really drunk. Jihoon put Younha's slender body to sleep slowly and then sidelined her soft strands of hair over her ears. Jihoon stared fixedly at the woman who looked still the same as before. It's quiet and fun to just look at. Jihoon's smile stretched out with him scoured the entire inch of the beautiful face's curves until he unconsciously fell into Younha's slightly open cleavage.

Jihoon slapped himself, he wouldn't touch his ex-wife without her permission. The man wanted to get up from the side of the bed but his hand was blocked by Younha.

"Where are you going Jihoon-na?" lirih Younha opened her eyes. "I want you to come with me to bed tonight."

Younha pulled Jihoon's wrist until the man lowered his head, and Younha held her twig arms around her ex-husband's neck and said "Sleep with me tight."

...*****...