Chapter 31

"Baby, what is the capital of Austria?" Chairman Kim asked the young Jennie.

They were inside his home office. A massive room surrounded with books and ledgers adjacent to the library inside their posh abode, along the manicured street of their neighborhood.

It was their weekend routine--spending a couple of hours inside his office, or in the library, whichever the eight-year old Jennie would prefer. It was young Jennie's favorite time of the week. She got to sit on his father's leather cushioned chair behind the big, shiny desk full papers to read and sign. And her father would often sit on the couch, like now, with his legs crossed and a spectacle was perching on the bridge of his nose. A pencil and a crossword puzzle from the Sunday edition of the The Korea Herald were on his hands.

"Vienna?" the young Jennie answered without looking up. She, too, had a pencil on her hand. She was doodling on a piece of paper, with an emblem of the Kim Group of Company printed on the upper-right.

Chairman Kim smiled proudly and wrote down V I E N N A on the six boxes vertically aligned on his crossword puzzle. He knew what the capital of Austria was. He just wanted to see how far his daughter have gone on her session with her tutor and how fast Jennie was learning.

"Anything else you want to ask me, Daddy?" Jennie asked her father, now looking up from her doodle, with her brows raised and an air of innocence and haughtiness on her face. She sounded like she was daring her father to ask her difficult questions.

"What do you want to be when you grow up, my Ruby Jane?" Chairman Kim asked, temporarily abandoning his crossword puzzle.

"Does today's crossword puzzle ask that, too? That's odd," Jennie said, looking slightly confused, which earned her her father's chuckle.

"No, baby. But I am asking you," Chairman Kim said, a fatherly smile was plastered on his face. "So, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I want to be a unicorn, Daddy!" the eight-year old Jennie chirped and went back to her doodle.

Chairman Kim laughed again and asked, "But don't you want to be like Daddy?"

Jennie looked up and was met by her father's hopeful and doting eyes. She smiled, showing her father her precious gummy smile and said, "I want to be as brave as you, Daddy."

When the car that she was riding on was approaching the intimidating tall, black gate of their , Jennie knew it was time to be brave. She wasn't sure how. Especially since she and her mother had never been in a situation where she would need to confront and stand her ground.

She immediately spotted Mr. Young, standing at the foot of the staircase that would lead to the main door. Along with him were a couple of men, dressed alike. Black suits, black pants, black shoes and a stern look on their faces. They were part of the security group from Jisoo's dad's security company.

The three of them bent their bodies forwards when they saw her from inside the car. And when Kai parked in front of them, one of the two men quickly opened the car door beside her and took another bow.

"Good morning, Lady Kim," Mr. Young greeted Jennie and like his aide, he took a bow in front of the young Kim. "Madam Kim is waiting for you in the office," Mr. Young said and gestured his hand towards the staircase. "Shall we?"

"There is no need to escort me, Mr. Young. I know how to find my way inside my house," Jennie told the head security coldly after she stepped out of the car.

"Certainly, Lady Kim," Mr. Young said and took a few steps backward.

"I'll see you around, Jennie Kim," Kai said from the window of the driver's seat. When Jennie glanced at him, he nodded curtly and then maneuvered the car away from the driveway and into the gate.

"Since when did he start coming over?" Jennie asked the head security. They were both looking at the car's tail light, with Jennie concluding inside her head that the car was actually Kai's and not from the conpany. No wonder it smelled so unlike the company car would smell.

"I am not in the position to tell you, Lady Kim. I'm sorry," Mr. Young replied politely and took another bow in front of her.

"Of course," Jennie said and started to climb up the stairs. Her hands were tucked inside the pockets of Lisa's hoodie. She was still wearing Lisa's home slippers that looked like a mouse, adorned with small fluffy ears and tiny whiskers. She was wondering if she already smelled like Lisa, too. And would her mother notice her lips? Because she could swear her lips felt a little plump and a bit sore from Lisa's kisses. Was that even possible?

Jennie knocked against the hardwood, licking the outlines of her lips as she did so. Hoping that it wouldn't betray her any traces, if there was any, at all, of the kisses.

"Come in!" she heard her mother's distinct voice from the inside.

"You wanted to see me?" Jennie asked as soon as she admitted herself inside her father's home office. It had been a while since she last stepped foot inside the huge room. The last time was when the family lawyer was reading her father's Last Will and Testament. It felt like light-years ago.

The curtains hanging on the sash window behind the leathered cushioned chair, where her mother was sitting, was drawn aside widely. The sky was a slightly overcast today, Jennie noticed as she looked passed the glass. The natural light that flooded in gave more than enough amount of light inside the office. Jennie thought the effect made her mother look more beautiful and literally glowing.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Mrs. Kim asked without looking up from the thick stack of papers she was reading. A cup of her favorite tea was beside the papers. Wisps of smoke was wafting from it.

"No. The guy you sent to pick me up arrived before I could even enjoy the pancakes I made," Jennie answered and sashayed towards the brown leathered couch and settled herself there. He half-expected Kai to bring her in. After all, he needed to report directly to her mom, didn't he?

"Hmm," Mrs. Kim nodded and asked, "And what do you think of Jongin?"

Jennie sprung herself up impulsively from the couch and indignantly said, "I will not marry him, Mom! Or Yi Eun. Or anyone you think is capable of . . . of wifing me!" She was livid. She knew it was coming. But she never expected it to come too soon.

Mrs. Kim took off her glasses calmly and throw an assessing look on her daughter. Her eyes lingered on the mouse slippers that Jennie was wearing. Its pink color was a contrast against the burgundy carpet.

"It's not about 'wifing' you, Ruby Jane. This is about fulfilling your duties as the sole heiress of the company that your father had entrusted to you," Mrs. Kim explained. But she sounded oddly calm, collected and tired, much to Jennie's surprise. She was expecting a confrontation.

"I can do that without you picking out strangers and telling them to marry me, Mom. That is weird and this is my life," Jennie said, now feeling slightly embarrassed with how she overreacted.

"Yi Eun is not a stranger, darling," Jennie's mother said patronizingly. "He's been in your life since you were kids. Don't you remember?"

Oh, yes, she did. She, Jisoo and Yi Eun went to school together, along with some other chaebol kids. Yi Eun was a leader of a pack of boys who would put chewing gums on the girls' hairs on their class for fun. One of her friends, Irene, was an early victim of Yi Eun's display of idiocy.

Irene's mother had to cut Irene's hair very short because Yi Eun decided to stick her hair with a pack of chewing gums which his gang have chewed on and played with their hands. It was gross and dehumanizing. Her friend, Irene was crying nonstop and she had to wear a beanie anywhere.

"But I don't like Yi Eun, Mom. He's a jerk. He's always been a jerk. Do you want me to marry a jerk?" Jennie said.

"Jongin, then? I heard he went to a good school in the US. You, two, have something in common. You can talk about New York. Or Paris! Jongin have visited Paris recently. He said he loved there. You both can go there together, someday. I think that would be lovely," Mrs. Kim said dreamily.

Jennie rolled her eyes and let out a sharp sigh. She thought her mother was the exact representation of all the chaebol mothers out there. It was excruciatingly annoying. And how long did her mother and that Kai guy had been sharing informations that they've reached as far as talking about Paris and New York?

"I'm sorry, Mom. But I don't wabt to marry him, too. I don't know him," Jennie said despite her mother rolling eyes on her. "I just met him today and I don't like him. He's impolite and he was nosy," she justified. "Honestly, Mom? Will you please stop this already? I'm not a child anymore."

"I am doing this for your own good, Ruby Jane," Mrs. Kim told Jennie, gone was the dreamy attitude. "I believe you are still incapable of making decisions for yourself after your father died. You need someone to help you once you take over the chairmanship." She was now on her feet.

"So you'd rather have someone who will decide things for me, other than you? Is that it?" Jennie retorted.

Mrs. Kim tried to open her mouth but was lost for words to retaliate. Of course she knew how smart her daughter was. There was no doubt about it. But she couldn't just let Jennie win this time. She knew Yi Eun did not had a chance with her daughter because Jennie was right. That boy was no good. But Jongin was different. The boy was well-educated. He's a perfect match for her Jennie.

"Is this about that woman you're constantly hanging out with?" Mrs. Kim took a different approach. She saw how her daughter's facial expression changed so suddenly.

Of course, she already knew about Lisa Manoban. The people from the KSG have provided her ample informations about Lalisa Manoban. The Thai photographer whom Jennie was spending a lot of time with lately. The woman was undeniably beautiful. No wonder Jennie was attracted to that Thai photographer. Her daughter had a thing for anything beautiful. Places, faces, food, everything.

"What's her name again? Lali--,"

Jennie's face went white and pale. She was shaking and her heart was beating loudly. She was dreading for this moment to come.

"Leave Lisa out of this, Mom. She doesn't know anything. She doesn't even know who I am," Jennie said, trying to sound calm.

"I see. So, this is about that woman, then," Mrs. Kim concluded and returned to her seat and resumed with her reading. The expression on her face was unfathomable and Jennie was dying to know what was going on inside her mother's head.

"I'm accepting the position," Jennie blurted out.

Mrs. Kim frooze and raised her head. She looked straight towards her daughter's eyes. Jennie was a transparent kind of person. If Jennie was sad or mad or anything, it was evident on her face. But this time, all that Mrs. Kim could see was a determined Jennie, although a little anxious. Her eyes were bright and sharp, her lips were pursed with conviction and her head was high. Jennie meant what she just said, Mrs. Kim realized. But she had to ask, of course. Despite her insides swirling and singing with glee. Finally. Finally!

"What position, darling?" Mrs. Kim asked, pretending that she didn't understand what Jennie was talking about.

"I'm taking over the company, Mom. I will now accept the chairmanship," Jennie answered.

"Are you sure? Well, that's great news! Finally!" Mrs. Kim said and went back to her reading, forcing to hide a gleeful smile on her face. Pretending that it wasn't what she had been waiting for all this time.

Jennie rolled her eyes. Her mother was never really subtle at hiding her emotions, was she?

"Please, set a meeting tomorrow morning with the board. I want everyone to be there," Jennie said and started to walk towards the door. "Oh and by the way, Mom? I want you to be there also. Please?"

"Sure, darling," Mrs. Kim said.

"Well, if that would be all? I'll be in my room if you need anything," she added and finally stalked off her father's office.

Jennie didn't even had time to breath because Jisoo, who was looking worried and slightly pallid, was attacking her with multiple questions all at once as soon as she stepped out of the office.

"What happened, Jendeukie? Is she mad? Did you two had a fight? What did she tell you? Oh my god! Did she disown you? Talk to me!"

"You know what, Chu? For someone who claimed to be sleepy, you talk too much," Jennie told Jisoo and dragged the latter to her room and said, "Come on. I'll tell you everything."

.....

"Kai? You mean, Jongin? He's the only Kai I know. Other than your dog, that is," Jisoo said and crawled on Jennie's bed when Jennie was done talking.

Jennie told her about Kai showing up at Lisa's doorstep and eventually telling her that he was interested in marrying her. She told Jisoo everything.

Everything, except the kisses she shared with Lisa this morning. She didn't feel like sharing it to Jisoo yet. She wanted it to be between her and Lisa. For now, at least. Oh, how her heart skipped a beat again just by thinking about it. But she shouldn't be thinking about it right now, Jennie reminded herself. Especially when there were more pressing matters to deal with first.

"So, you know him, too?" Jennie asked, now feeling somewhat disappointed that Jisoo knew who Kai was. She was sitting at the edge of her bed. While Jisoo was sprawling right in the middle of it, occupying half the space.

She thought Kai was a total stranger who her mother just picked out from the internet or whatever and decided that he was good enough to be her future husband. And with Jisoo personally having a knowledge about him only made him a real person.

Jisoo nodded. "Everyone knows him," she said matter-of-factly and let out a yawn.

She felt like dozing off but she couldn't. Everything just snowballed all of a sudden. The kiss she aggressively initiated on Chaeyoung, Jennie obviously spending the night at Lisa's place, Jennie's mother and Kai. And Jennie accepting the chairmanship--

What happened to Valentine's Day?, Jisoo asked herself.

"Well, not me, obviously," Jennie said with a hint of annoyance.

"Are you kidding? Don't you remember him? He went to the same school with us, but only for a year, I think. That was during gradeschool, if I remember it right. He then went to the U.S. to study there. And he's--,"

"Yi Eun's cousin? Yes, he told me," Jennie said.

"So, you're mom wants you to marry Jongin?" Jisoo asked.

"Apparently. And he said he's trying to consider the idea. But I said no," Jennie answered.

"Wow. I don't know who's funnier between your mother and Kai," Jisoo and laughed.

"What do you mean?" Jennie asked curiously.

"I mean, there are rumors about him, Jendeukie. And it's actually quite a buzz within the circle. Irene and the girls heard about it also," Jisoo hesitated and turned serious all of a sudden.

"What rumors?" Jennie's curiosity was now in full mode. Especially because Jisoo wasn't the type to hesitate.

"Well, I'm sure they're just rumors and I really don't mean to put Jongin in a bad light here," Jisoo said, now totally looking uncomfortable.

Which started to annoy Jennie. Her patience was wearing thin since Kai showing up in Lisa's doorstep happened. Or maybe she just missed her Lili. She wondered what Lisa was doing right now and did she eat the pancakes?

"Chu, will you just tell me about it so we both could get over it quickly if it's too uncomfortable for you to talk about?" Jennie suggested.

"Okay. Look, everyone in the circle is saying that Jongin is . . . Well, rumor has it that he's . . . gay. Or bisexual? I'm not sure which is which. And I don't know if it's true or not. Anyway, they said that his parents know about it long before the rumor about his sexuality have started. So, there you go," Jisoo said." But I heard he's a nice person. His Instagram is flooded with pictures of him and his nephew and niece."

But Jennie wasn't impressed. She was more aghast and she felt offended than being impressed with Kai's relationship with children.

"Chu! You can't just talk about anyone behind their back about their sexuality. That's rude. How would you feel if you hear someone talking about me falling in love with a woman?"

"I know, okay? I'm just telling you what I know. Or heard. Besides, that's why they're called rumors, Jendeuk. And they'll remain so unless proven otherwise. Which hasn't happen yet in Jongin's case. And I don't think it will ever happen because he's either extra careful or there's really nothing to prove," Jisoo defended herself. "So, anyway. Yi Eun and I had a little chit chat last night at the after-party."

Jennie rolled her eyes. "Ugh! What did he say?" she asked.

"You know, the usual nonsense. He was talking like the jerk that he is," Jisoo replied and chuckled. "I guess he didn't get the memo."

"What memo?" Jennie asked.

"That he's off the list, what else? The 'Mrs. Kim's List of Potential Candidates for a Son-in-law'. Yi Eun would be really pissed when he finds out he's being substituted by his own cousin. Your mother has just brewed a family conflict between them," Jisoo said.

And Jennie took it as her cue to break the more important news to Jisoo. There was no point keeping to herself, anyway. The news will eventually be disseminated tomorrow. She wanted Jisoo to hear it from her first.

"There won't be a list anymore because I've already accepted the chairmanship," said Jennie.

Jisoo sprung herself up from being sprawled on Jennie's bed and looked at Jennie with eyes wide open and her mouth gaping. "Are you serious?" she asked, almost like a whisper.

Jennie nodded and sighed. "You were right, Chu. It's the only way to stop my mom from being a mat-seon. I'm already sick of her asking any boys to marry me. As if I'm some kind of desperate."

"What about Lisa?" Jisoo asked. One that Jennie did not expect.

"What about her?" she asked, unsure what to expect next from Jisoo's line of questioning.

"Does your mom know about her?"

"She knows Lisa's name. But I don't know yet how far does she know about Lisa," Jennie replied and quickly added, "She asked me about her inside the office," when she saw the unspoken query on Jisoo's eyes. "Perhaps you can find that out for me, Chu? Now that we're on the subject."

"Find how exactly?" Jisoo asked apprehensively, her eyes were squinted. She didn't like the way Jennie was looking at her with those cat-like eyes of hers. Like Jendeuk was thinking of something that involves her, Jisoo, doing illegal things.

"You know how things work inside your dad's company, Chu," Jennie implied.

"And you already know I can't use my dad's computer anymore after he found out about your little adventure in Tongyeong, right? I don't even think I'm still allowed to wander inside his office anymore. Let alone be near it. That place is off limits for me. So whatever you're thinking right now, the answer is no, Ruby Jane," Jisoo said.

It was true. Although they never really discussed about it over family dinner, but Jisoo was rather good at reading signs. She knew that her father have specifically instructed the people in his company to keep her away from his office after that day. His secretary had always a reason to keep her on a certain distance from her father's office door whenever she would pay a visit.

"I know you can't, Chu. But your brother can," Jennie suggested.

"Sure, he can. But he won't do it, Jenduek. Whatever it is that you will ask of him. He works for our dad, in case you've forgotten," Jisoo said.

Jennie smiled slyly and said, "No, I haven't. But he'll be inheriting your dad's company years from now, right? And I'm taking over our company effective tomorrow. Which means that he will soon be working for me, so he can't say no to me. Unless he would decide that we should part ways in the future, which is unlikely to happen because the Kim Security Company is under the Kim Group of Companies. Plus, he loves me as much as he loves you. I'm practically his sister."

Jisoo looked dumbfounded and shook her head in disbelief.

"God, you're scary when you think like that. You're going to be a scary boss, Ruby Jane. I feel scared for everyone who will work for you starting tomorrow," Jisoo said.

"I will be a fair boss like Dad," Jennie told Jisoo. "So, will you tell him?"

"I'll try. But I'm not going to promise anything," Jisoo said.

"Thank you, Chu," Jennie said. "So, what did you do at the Orange? Did something happen? You seemed edgy over the phone."

"What? No, of course. Nothing. Nada! What's supposed to happen inside that place, anyway?" Jisoo responded and laughed.

But Jennie knew better. She knew Jisoo long enough. Jisoo wasn't a good liar.

"Did you and Chaeyoung had a go at each other again?" Jennie prodded but Jisoo did not answer. She took it as a yes. "Chu, seriously? Whatever your issues are with Chaeng, just drop it. Please?" Jennie pleaded.

"We did not kill each other, obviously . . ."

"Good. Because Chaeng is really a nice person, Chu. And she's Lisa's bestfriend. You're my bestfriend. I don't want things between the four of us to get complicated or whatever--,"

". . . b-but I sort of k-kissed her?" Jisoo said and tried to laughed it off. It only made her look more guilty.

"You WHAT?!?"

"And I think it made her even angrier at me. She was livid and she told me I was stupid," Jisoo said and groaned and then buried her face under one of Jennie's huge, soft pillows.

"But why? What made you do it, Chu? Was it to spite her?" Jennie asked.

Jisoo's face emerged from under the pillow, looking offended. "What? No! I was just trying to prove a point," she told Jennie.

"Point about what?" demanded Jennie.

"Whether I'm going full lesbian on her or just, you know, girlcrushing?" Jisoo answered.

"Well, it wasn't what I was expecting. I thought you said you won't ever like girls?" Jennie asked, trying not to laugh.

"Don't you dare laugh at me right now!" Jisoo warned Jennie. But it only made the latter laugh out loud.

"Did you get the answer you were hoping, though?" Jennie asked between giggles.

"That's the problem. I think I did but I feel like I didn't. Anyway, enough about that. What about you and Lisa? Don't tell me you still didn't kissed her, Jendeuk. Because I won't believe you."

Jennie's giggles turned into shy smiles and said, although with a bit of hesitation: "Lisa and I were making out when Kai rung the doorbell."

Jisoo laughed and said, "Attagirl! Happy Valentine's to you, then!"

"Thanks, I guess?" Jennie replied with a laugh. "What are your plans for today?"

"Sleep. I want to sleep the day away," Jisoo answered and let out another yawn. "What about you?"

"Same. I was up all night staring at Lisa snoring on her bed. It was cute, actually," Jennie said with a smile.

But Jisoo was already sleeping soundly. Jennie shook her head and pull on the cover over Jisoo's body. She forgot to ask why Chu was still wearing the dress she wore from last night.