Make It Real: Chapter 12

Minho came back to U.S. after his three months term in Junhee Savings Bank. He then applied as manager in Bank of America Boston branch where he was offered to get $200,000 a year. Yuri finally accepted his proposal to get married through civil wedding after her contract expired. She still had to complete her other projects before marrying her long-time boyfriend. Meanwhile, Chairman Monghee had cut its communication from son after they fought. He had no intention of bequeathing the company to his son if he continued defying his duties as future CEO.

One morning, Juniel was eating her snack alone inside school cafeteria when a classmate called her.

"There's someone looking for you." She told her.

"Who's that?"

"She didn't tell but she's an old woman."

"I see. I'll go down."

Juniel went out searching for the old woman and saw her there across the road. She was waving at her wearing simple blouse and long skirt.

"Why Miss?" She asked her.

"At last, I saw you!" She exclaimed, notably happy.

"Who are you?"

She held one of her hand while introducing herself "Juniel, I'm you real mother."

"Huh?" Juniel remembered Mrs. Hasun's confession about her real parents last month. "It can't be. My Mama said she already passed away since I was a baby."

"So you already know you're adopted but they still lied. Believe me I'm your mother." The stranger gripped one of her hand forcing the girl to come with her. "You father wants to see you too."

Juniel removed her hand from her touch. Instinctively, she felt something wrong about it. She could not explain but she wanted to leave quickly. "I'll ask my Mama's permission first." The girl started to move away when the woman pulled her hair back. It was painful to bear.

The woman turned creepy with her glaring eyes. "I said come with me!"

"Please don't hurt me." She asked the woman,  afraid of what she might do to her.

One moment, three firearm men came to her, purposely pulled her hands and tried to drag her on her feet. "Stay away from me." She panicky struggled from their grip and instinctively screamed some help. "Helppppp!"

Luckily, a police patrol was passing by heard the loud cry.

The gunmen quickly carried their struggling victim off to their motorbike when the cop caught them "Freeze!" He pointed his weapon at the gang and was able to duck when one gunman fired the pistol to his direction. The three ran away including the woman riding their motorbikes . The one who was holding Juniel found it difficult to escape. Juniel was too terrified feeling she could die there at the midst, while begging for some mercy.

The sound of exchange gunshots alarmed the security guards of Kyonggi School. They held their guns and immediately fired shots to the culprits as they were breaking away.

Now four guns pointed at the one guy left. The gunman held Juniel tightly as he could. "If you come to me I'll kill this girl." He threatened them. He was pointing his gun at her head, while holding its neck. Slowly he moved towards his motor. "Don't get near." He told them.

"Don't fire!" The cop commanded the three security guards during the standoff. He was trying to protect the girl.

After few minutes, at warp speed, the captivator pushed Juniel and rushed away with his bike, one of the bodyguard fired his gun and hit the girl unintentionally. The cop followed their direction while calling some help from their station.

The bodyguard who hit Juniel nervously came to her checking her badly wounded stomach. "I'm sorry Mam." He told her while using his own shirt to cover her wound. She was losing much blood and needed to send to hospital. Juniel was fearing for her life after she got shot. She kept asking for her Mama, fighting to survive.

Amazingly, Chairman Sungho's vital sings became okay that day. Mrs. Hasun was partly happy yet wondering about this strange thing until she received a call from Sunhwa. The younger woman was trembling in fear and seemed tense whe she said it.

"Unnie, go to Catholic Medical Center quickly, Juniel was shot."

"What?!" Mrs. Hasun was absolutely staggered by the news and hurriedly went to the hospital where Juniel was sent.

"The young girl was in critical condition, suffering from one gunshot to her upper stomach." Her husband had not yet recovered yet she is facing another trial with Juniel. She stumbled on her feet and sobbed loudly in front of the doctor who reported her.

Minho forgot something so he ran back to the unit. He remembered that document he inserted inside the bottom drawer. He searched all over when a container of mifepristone (an abortion pill) dropped on his feet.

The pill is 95-98 % effective in ending an unwanted pregnancy safely up to 12 weeks .

He re-read the note, suspecting that Yuri got pregnant before he went to Seoul and now she has those pills. He rebuked it until he hear her side. They were using any kind of contraceptive way eversince to protect her career, but this is too much for him. He had long desired to have her child, a good reason for his family to accept their relationship someday.

"I thought you already left? " Yuri said after she came out from shower.

"What is this?" Minho seriously showed her the pills she have been using.

"Oh-oh. " Yuri could not answer as she got troubled finding some reason.

"Why you have this thing?"

'Oh! My friend left it here when we had some drinks. "

"Don't fool me! You're using it aren't you?" He shouted and it startled her.

"No. I mean yes. Is that even illegal? I told you I'm willing to conceive after this contract."

"I don't care if that's illegal or not. He told her angrily. "I lost respect for you."

"My agency required me to do it otherwise, I'll lose my job."

"You're not different from my parents. You pick self interest over your family."

The girl was still speechless wanting to defend herself but how.

His long time partner suddenly wrecked his pride and desire to marry her.

"So what will you do? "

"I don't know." Then he went away.

Yuri got slightly bothered on what he said but remained unaffected. She was confident enough that he will forgive her and understand her action later on.

Minho never imagine that the one he supported for ten years and the one he was willing to defend against his parents will offend him just like this. Now, he do not want to trust anymore as the people who he expected to protect his love is the same people who are destroying it. He spent the night alone in his own condo, trying to reflect about this issue. Maybe it is just an ordinary problem but his ego was totally crushed the moment he found it. He was contemplating about it when his bestfriend called form Seoul.

"Hello bestfriend."

"Hey dude. I tried to contact you on your other number, you seems so busy lately."

"Yes. Why did you call?"

"You've missed a lot."

"What are those?"

"Uncle Sunho already passed away."

"Oh?" His mood turned to sorrow suddenly, hearing his uncle's death.

"And I'm sure you don't know this but your cousin Juniel was shot during a shooting incident."

"Really?!" He was not surprised at the death of his uncle, but totally blown by Juniel's news.

"It was all over newspaper three days ago. They wanted to kidnap Juniel maybe for some ramson. They were able to escape during shoot out as they used her as their shield. The girl was hit to her stomach incidentally."

"How about Auntie, how is she?"

"Poor old woman. She has to go back and forth to funeral and hospital, just to manage things."

"Is Juniel okay now?"

"Juniel is still critical. We actually thought she'll die ahead of her father."

The news came as a shock for him. Minho then felt guilty of leaving Aunt Hasun in times like this. He suddenly wished to return to Korea to at least pay tribute to his uncle and to visit his injured cousin. Above all, he had an urge to apologize for what he did that might hurt them.

to be continued...