The warm feeling of the sun touched her skin as the bright beam pierced her eyes. Mani rolled over on her bed. Inhaling a deep breath and stretching out her legs, she laid on her back with her arm over her forehead. The events of yesterday ran through her head. From Yongguk’s coup d’etat to Daehyun’s explosion. She couldn’t help but chuckle a little from the recent chaos.

What a crazy day, she thought.

Reaching over her bedside table to grab her phone, Mani pressed the power button and was immediately greeted with a phone call.

Mom Dearest ❣

Mani pressed on the button. “Good morning, mom.” she greeted with her morning, raspy voice.

“You didn’t call yesterday.” her mother chastised as she was cutting vegetables. With the phone in between her ear and right shoulder, Monae wiped her hands on her apron and put her daughter on speaker.

“Sorry, it was a crazy day,” Mani explained.

“Or the day before that and the day before that and so on and so on.” Monae grabbed the carrots and began to peel them, placing the completely stripped ones in a dish. “I was worried sick.”

Maru walked into the kitchen, hearing that his mom was on the phone with his sister. He stole a carrot and bit into it.

“She doesn’t reply to my texts either!” he yelled so Mani could hear.

Mani sheepishly laughed, “Okay scratch that; this entire week has been crazy.”

She heard the phone being taken away. “Mani-ah,” she heard her father’s voice.

“Yes, dad?”

“Did you get my japchae delivery?” Mansuk asked. “I sent it a few days ago it should be there anytime now.”

Mani groaned as she stretched out her arms. “No dad, I didn’t. But I’ll check later on today.”

“When are you going to send me money?” Maru shouted again.

“These guys!” Monae took the phone back from her husband and walked to another room. She turned the speakers off so the two wouldn’t interrupt her conversation with her daughter. “How was your week? I miss hearing your voice.”

Mani’s eyes wandered around her ceiling; noticing pores that she’d never acknowledged before. His face appeared in her head and her heart began to shiver. Her mom was her best friend; she could tell her everything and anything free of trouble or judgment. With this issue, she wasn’t sure how her mother would react.

“I have a new couple.”

“That’s good!” Monae cheered. “I’m very proud of you Mani. You’re really getting your life together, especially at such a young age.”

“It’s Bang Yongguk and his fiancé.” She paused for a second, “And he's not happy to see me at all.”

There was a silence.

Unknowingly, Mani’s legs began to shake in anxiety. Never once did her mom have nothing to say to her news.

“Mom?” Mani called, “You still there?”

“So how are you handling it?” Monae continued.

“Well, I think.” she lied. Mani was like a helpless paper in Bang Yongguk’s fire of vengeance in a sea of fuel.

“Have you two talked? You know, about the past.”

“Not really. He’s not really handling it well.” Mani confessed. “He’s been...aggressive.”

“Aggressive, how?” Monae began to grow concerned. “Mani if he is doing something to you I will call the police on him.”

Mani laughed, “It’s fine mom. He’s just been messing with me. Nothing too much.” she lied again.

“Well if it gets too out of hand, I won’t hesitate to come down there and set the record straight.” Monae sat up in her seat, “Remind him that he is the one getting married. He is the one that shouldn't involve himself with you! Regardless of your romantically involved past.”

“I know mom. We both know our boundaries. I’m just his wedding planner, that’s it. Really!” Mani held the phone in front of her face and looked at the time. “Sorry, mom I have to go to work.” she lied.

“Mani.”

She stopped shuffling. “Yes, mom?”

“Please be smart, okay? Don’t let him take advantage of your kindness.”

She couldn’t tell her mom the awful things Bang Yongguk has done to her, nonetheless the fact that he took her shop away from her.

“I know, mom,” Mani mumbled.

“Mani, I mean it. You say this now but watch as he sweeps you off your feet again. I love you a lot and trust that you won’t let this happen, but I just want to warn you now: he will be a married man soon. You don’t want to get into all that drama.”

Mani paused, unable to think of what to say. “I love you, bye.”

She hung up and threw her phone on the bed. Closing her eyes, she rested a bit longer on her bed. Today was going to be a busy day. After cleaning, her and Jieun would be on the search for a new place to hold their business. She wasn’t going to let Bang Yongguk confiscate her career away.

Boryun hung up her phone call with Jinam. A satisfied smile branched across her face. She heard Yongguk walk down the stairs and called for him.

“Yongguk-ah, come down; I need to talk to you.”

“Coming, mom.” He walked to his mother and gave her a kiss on the forehead, “Good morning. What did you want to say to me?”

Filled with too much excitement, Boryun pinched her son’s cheek. “I knew I chose the right person.”

He scoffed a chuckle, “What are you talking about?” he asked as he walked to the refrigerator for some orange juice.

“I just got off the phone with Goeun’s mother and she told me how your wedding planner helped Daehyun. Oh, she’s so amazing!” she gushed to herself. “I really need to see this woman for myself.

Yongguk laughed.

If only you knew who you hired.

From the bottle, he poured some of the content in his mouth.

“Jinam told me that Daehyun’s going to ask her to live in the house with them.”

Yongguk stopped drinking his orange juice. “What?”

“Isn’t it a great idea! Now we’ll get even more done for the wedding.”

“Wait,” he put the orange juice back in fridge, “she’s moving into their home?”

Boryun nodded, “I know it’s a bizarre idea but it’ll work. Daehyun is going to talk to her today. Since she’s got a good heart, they don’t think she’ll refuse this offer. It’s too good!”

Yongguk slammed the refrigerator door and briskly walked past his mother.

“Where are you going so early?”

He took his car keys and wallet. “I’ll be back later,” he told her. As he walked to his car, Yongguk scoffed in disbelief. “Mani, live with Daehyun? That won’t last long.”

Himchan opened the door with one eye still shut. Last night he got wasted with a bunch of colleagues so an early morning visit from yours truly wasn’t exactly his cup of tea. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

“Bang Yongguk it is nine o’clock in the freaking morning, can you not.” Himchan sheepishly sat down on the sofa in front of him.

Yongguk propped himself on the other sofa. Elbows on his knees, he propped his folded hands under his chin.

“He wants her to move in.” Yongguk said lowly.

Himchan rose a brow. Now, he was awake. He sat up and crossed his legs, intrigued. “Daehyun wants Mani to move in?” Himchan laughed, “Oh Yongguk, you didn’t tell me they were dating.”

“They’re not!” Yongguk shouted defensively, leaning forward in his seat as he did. He leaned back. “You know how I told you that Goeun mentioned that Daehyun has some anger issues. Well, yesterday he exploded and beat the out of their gardener. Mani came in like a knight in freaking shining armor and calmed him down.”

Yongguk felt himself get irritated, just remembering how close their interaction was. How she held onto him, using that gentle voice that he missed so much. The voice she would use to talk to him when they were younger — the voice he doesn’t receive any more.

“She helped him ease out like —” he stopped, not wanting to recall their intimate moment. “Anyway, Daehyun is going to go talk to her about it.” Yongguk shook his head, “Mani won’t accept it. I know her. She’s not like that; to move into someone’s house on command — that’s insane!”

“How can you be so sure?” Himchan asked. “It seems like she really cares for him. You don’t know what their relationship is.”

“That’s what I don’t understand!” Yongguk stood up and paced in front of the sofa. “Daehyun is a beast. He has a hideous temper and worse of all he’s abusive. I don’t know what she sees in him to care for him so much.”

“Why did Beauty fall in love with the Beast?” Himchan paused, trying to formulate his statements. “What you see in Daehyun may not be the treatment she is given. To you and others, Daehyun may seem like this awful person but to her, he is the sweetest person in her world.”

Yongguk sighed and sat down again. “He’s rich, he’s handsome; I get it. But Mani isn’t the type of person to fall for someone over superficial attributes. I mean look at me, she left me even though she knew what kind of family I grew up in. Mani isn’t an easy person.”

Himchan was hesitant to ask him the question. But it felt right.

“Are you upset that Mani is going to choose another man over you again?” His best friend looked at him and Himchan knew he had twisted the knife. “You really think she ran away with Yongnam like your mom said?”

Perhaps the information that he's been oppressing all these years was the fact that Mani left him for his twin brother; the person who shared the same face as him, but a man with a much different heart. Yongguk never wanted to believe that Mani would choose his problematic brother over him. Mani was a good girl, but it seems she sought the bad boy over the obedient one.

It suddenly made sense. Men like Daehyun and Yongnam were Mani’s type.

Dominant, powerful, controlling, and irrational.

Yongguk stood up. “Thanks for helping me understand.” Before Himchan could give his two cents, Yongguk was already out the door.

It was an early morning but Daehyun felt fresh and awake. Fixing his tie, he was oddly excited to seize the day. Today was the day he would ask Mani to stay with him. There were many guest rooms in their home; he figured she could stay in one of them. With their huge backyard, it would’ve been the perfect place to have clients over. She could even have a small shop of her own. Just use one of the back houses and it would be perfect. Daehyun couldn’t see a flaw in this deal. Regardless, he was more than happy to comply with any of her accommodations. Grabbing his suitcase, Daehyun opened the door to his room and walked down the hall. As he made his way to the kitchen, he heard obnoxiously loud chewing. Already he knew it was his sister.

“Where were you last night?” He asked her as he grabbed himself some apple juice.  

“Work.” She said with a mouthful of apple chumps.

“Until,” Daehyun looked at his wristwatch, “Ten in the morning?”

“I fell asleep at the office, big deal.” She said through her chews.

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