Vanished
Business
The legends always said that the vanishing occurred when someone’s death was dealt wrongly. The death gods had a list and a schedule and if someone died not according to that schedule they Vanished. In essence it saved that person’s life by sending them to the shadow world, but if they didn’t return to the world of the living before there time was up they would become Gwisin. Turning into Gwisin while you were still alive was different than it was in death, instead of becoming an apparition you became something dark, parasitic to the living… a demon. *******************Shadow Realm 13 years earlier****************************
The only thing she remembered was the car heading straight for her and her husband’s desperate voice begging her not to leave. When she woke up she was lying on sand in a sunless, moonless place devoid of even stars. It didn’t make sense that she could see as clearly as she could but she could see everything from the sand and ocean to one side to the scattered rubble and lost belongings on the other. Then it hit. The realization that she must have Vanished. Please find me….
“Why did you call me out here, saeeomma? We didn’t have a lunch scheduled.” You asked when you arrived at the restaurant.
“We do now. Smile. It doesn’t look good for you to be hateful to your eomeoni.” she said lacing a hand around your waist for a photo. Being a member of a rich family made it hard for you to hate someone. Even someone like her. You smiled and hugged her close for another shot.
“You’re not my mother.” You ground out. The two of you had hated each other but either your father really hadn’t noticed or he hadn’t cared when he married her anyway. So for his sake you were polite, for each others you stayed as far away as humanly possible.
“Don’t talk like that when we get in the restaurant either. Taekwoon’s mother was kind enough to reschedule the date for both of you and your father insisted I keep an eye on you.”
“Jinjja? Did it not occur to either of you that I might be seeing someone?”
“That hardly matters. Its all business anyway.”
“Is that all my father is to you is business? No wonder you didn’t mind dragging your son into a marriage that both children hate. Speaking of how is my brother?” you changed your tone when someone walked by.
“Youngjin is fine. He will be home from his trip soon you should come by.” She replied politely until they were out of earshot.
“Your father and I are different and none of your business. Now be quiet before the press or Taekwoon hears you.” she hissed.
“I told you I am seeing someone. I don’t really care what Taekwo- Leo?” You said when your eyes landed on the man at the table. He just smirked up at you.
“You two know each other?” Both of your mothers asked.
“Ne, He is a friend of Hakyeon Oppa’s and I work with Jina.” You explained to his mother and your step mother after giving a polite bow then turned back to Leo.
“You know when my mother told me I would be meeting someone here I thought the name sounded familiar.” He spoke with an amused tone. You had seen a lot of each other between hanging out with Jina and N and the group get togethers that you went to with Ravi. He had actually become one of your close friends because of his friendship with your boyfriend.
“Ravi isn’t going to let either of us hear the end of this you know that right? speaking of I wonder why he’s never been in your seat.” You laughed lightly at the irony. Almost four months had already passed since he stood you up that first time and here you were meeting again for what your parents hoped would be a successful merger. Speaking of Ravi you wondered why your father had never tried to pair the two of you off. He came from one of the wealthy families and, other than being a perfect pain in the ass to the group sometimes, he had an excellent upbringing.
“you don’t pay attention to your father’s company much do you?” Leo chuckled and his mother looked like she wanted to beat him senseless with her Prada purse.
“Aniyo. Ever since my father signed the papers my step brother is in line to take my place as head of the company. Unless I fight him on it. but my shares in the stock make it to where I live comfortably enough and as my father is still the head of the company for now I have no need.” It was your stepmother’s turn to be angry with you. It was no secret that she wanted her son in your place as head of the company and if it weren’t for the fact that you loved your step brother so much there would be nothing stopping you from taking the company from him for sheer spite of her.
“Ravi’s father and your father are the heads of the two largest corporations in South Korea and they hate each other. Their stocks would go down in a merger like this because they couldn’t be rivals anymore. Not to mention that they would kill each other if they were in-laws.” He said like it was the funniest thing he’d heard all day.
“Jinjja? you mean Ravi is the one who did all of that crap back in middle school? I remember his abeoji and yours. The three of us had gotten in a fight that year because he tripped me and caused me to spill my lunch. He must not recognize me.” You giggled a little at the thought as you suddenly remembered Ravi from when the two of you were in school together. You remembered Leo then as well.
“I remember you now as well y/n. You were such a cute child and you’ve grown up to be an exceptional woman and you are just as beautiful as your birth mother ever was. Your mother and I used to be great friends. I was so devastated when I heard the news.” His mother said causing your stepmother to scowl at the mention of your birth mother.
“Gamsahabnida.” You replied politely.
“Well. I think we have bothered the two of you enough. Taekwoon I will see you about this later. Hopefully the next time I see you y/n I can greet you as my daughter-in-law.” She bowed formally and you bowed back preferring not to say anything that might upset your father’s business dealings.
“I can’t believe I didn’t remember. We all went to school together. My mom even talked with your mom about arranging a marriage when we were older before she died. I over heard her and we got in a fight. It was the night of the accident. The night she went through the vanishing.” You wiped furiously at a tear that threatened to spill over.
“Ulji mala.” He reached out and wiped a tear from the other side.
“We should talk about something else. oneul mwohaesso?” You said then gave a dazzling smile. It was the one you’d been giving cameras for years.
“I was actually at the beach this morning when my mother called. I needed a break. You?”
“With Ravi eating breakfast. I almost brought him with me. Could you have imagined? We never would have all fit at this table.” You sounded hollow even to your own ears.
“Hajima.”
“Mwo?”
“Don’t fake around me. If you’re upset, as your friend, I want to know. Truth is more valuable to me than your happy face. If you don’t mind, we should probably walk out together. I don’t want my mother bothering me and I know you don’t want to speak to your stepmother.” He said standing when he paid for the food.
“We should separate at the front as well. The press is still outside. This has to go well enough that we don’t insult each others families, but badly enough that we don’t get engaged. Sound about right? Press photos would ruin that for us.” You said making an effort to smile when you saw your stepmother looking at you suspicion clear in her gaze.
“Call Ravi to pick you up. Your cab already left. Oh and if we ever get out of this mess you and I should do this for real sometime.” He said when someone passed by giving you a knowing smirk, kissing your cheek and heading out of the door.
There were camera flashes everywhere when you finally stepped outside receiving the call that ravi was going to be pulling up any moment. He didn’t bother to get out of the car because you’d asked him not to but when you got inside nothing stopped him from grabbing your jaw and kissing you possessively on the lips. “What was that for?” you asked laughing at the satisfied expression on his face. “Just making sure whoever that date was with didn’t steal my girl. It’s too early for me to lose you to some random jackass.” He said smirking when you swatted his arm.
“Why didn’t you want me to come inside?”
“My stepmother is still in there.”
“Point made. I’ve hated that woman since the first time I met her.”
“Mwo?” You asked shocked.
“ dangsin-i algo haji anh-assda? Our fathers met last week.”
“Waeyo?”
“Business I guess. Not a big deal. No punches were thrown this time. Your stepmother and my mom seemed really friendly but I swear my dad looked like he wanted to throw yours out on his ass.” He said shrugging.
“Oh.”
“Wae? Worried it was about you?” He chuckled.
“Jogum. Something that Le- my date said in there about our parents and how they’d never agree to the two of us.” You didn’t know why you’d decided not to tell him about Leo but something about it just felt wrong. Like it wasn’t your story to tell or something. Leo would probably say something so it wasn’t a big deal.
“Ah. So that’s why. If the press had gotten pictures of us we’d be in trouble. Gwaenchan-a. We will keep things to ourselves for now but promise me something.”
“ amugeosdo.”
“In a few months if this is still going well will you at least think about us moving in together and going public? I can’t sit by and watch you date other guys forever.”
“Well I promised didn’t I?” You replied smiling widely when the shock of what he’d said went away. He was serious about this, about the two of you. this was different than the drawer he had at your apartment and the little things you kept at his. What he was talking about was the two of you being together for almost a year and making a move to spending the rest of your lives together. If only you only knew how short of a moment that was going to be. Maybe you would have changed your mind. Then again maybe not.
The only thing she remembered was the car heading straight for her and her husband’s desperate voice begging her not to leave. When she woke up she was lying on sand in a sunless, moonless place devoid of even stars. It didn’t make sense that she could see as clearly as she could but she could see everything from the sand and ocean to one side to the scattered rubble and lost belongings on the other. Then it hit. The realization that she must have Vanished. Please find me….
“Why did you call me out here, saeeomma? We didn’t have a lunch scheduled.” You asked when you arrived at the restaurant.
“We do now. Smile. It doesn’t look good for you to be hateful to your eomeoni.” she said lacing a hand around your waist for a photo. Being a member of a rich family made it hard for you to hate someone. Even someone like her. You smiled and hugged her close for another shot.
“You’re not my mother.” You ground out. The two of you had hated each other but either your father really hadn’t noticed or he hadn’t cared when he married her anyway. So for his sake you were polite, for each others you stayed as far away as humanly possible.
“Don’t talk like that when we get in the restaurant either. Taekwoon’s mother was kind enough to reschedule the date for both of you and your father insisted I keep an eye on you.”
“Jinjja? Did it not occur to either of you that I might be seeing someone?”
“That hardly matters. Its all business anyway.”
“Is that all my father is to you is business? No wonder you didn’t mind dragging your son into a marriage that both children hate. Speaking of how is my brother?” you changed your tone when someone walked by.
“Youngjin is fine. He will be home from his trip soon you should come by.” She replied politely until they were out of earshot.
“Your father and I are different and none of your business. Now be quiet before the press or Taekwoon hears you.” she hissed.
“I told you I am seeing someone. I don’t really care what Taekwo- Leo?” You said when your eyes landed on the man at the table. He just smirked up at you.
“You two know each other?” Both of your mothers asked.
“Ne, He is a friend of Hakyeon Oppa’s and I work with Jina.” You explained to his mother and your step mother after giving a polite bow then turned back to Leo.
“You know when my mother told me I would be meeting someone here I thought the name sounded familiar.” He spoke with an amused tone. You had seen a lot of each other between hanging out with Jina and N and the group get togethers that you went to with Ravi. He had actually become one of your close friends because of his friendship with your boyfriend.
“Ravi isn’t going to let either of us hear the end of this you know that right? speaking of I wonder why he’s never been in your seat.” You laughed lightly at the irony. Almost four months had already passed since he stood you up that first time and here you were meeting again for what your parents hoped would be a successful merger. Speaking of Ravi you wondered why your father had never tried to pair the two of you off. He came from one of the wealthy families and, other than being a perfect pain in the ass to the group sometimes, he had an excellent upbringing.
“you don’t pay attention to your father’s company much do you?” Leo chuckled and his mother looked like she wanted to beat him senseless with her Prada purse.
“Aniyo. Ever since my father signed the papers my step brother is in line to take my place as head of the company. Unless I fight him on it. but my shares in the stock make it to where I live comfortably enough and as my father is still the head of the company for now I have no need.” It was your stepmother’s turn to be angry with you. It was no secret that she wanted her son in your place as head of the company and if it weren’t for the fact that you loved your step brother so much there would be nothing stopping you from taking the company from him for sheer spite of her.
“Ravi’s father and your father are the heads of the two largest corporations in South Korea and they hate each other. Their stocks would go down in a merger like this because they couldn’t be rivals anymore. Not to mention that they would kill each other if they were in-laws.” He said like it was the funniest thing he’d heard all day.
“Jinjja? you mean Ravi is the one who did all of that crap back in middle school? I remember his abeoji and yours. The three of us had gotten in a fight that year because he tripped me and caused me to spill my lunch. He must not recognize me.” You giggled a little at the thought as you suddenly remembered Ravi from when the two of you were in school together. You remembered Leo then as well.
“I remember you now as well y/n. You were such a cute child and you’ve grown up to be an exceptional woman and you are just as beautiful as your birth mother ever was. Your mother and I used to be great friends. I was so devastated when I heard the news.” His mother said causing your stepmother to scowl at the mention of your birth mother.
“Gamsahabnida.” You replied politely.
“Well. I think we have bothered the two of you enough. Taekwoon I will see you about this later. Hopefully the next time I see you y/n I can greet you as my daughter-in-law.” She bowed formally and you bowed back preferring not to say anything that might upset your father’s business dealings.
“I can’t believe I didn’t remember. We all went to school together. My mom even talked with your mom about arranging a marriage when we were older before she died. I over heard her and we got in a fight. It was the night of the accident. The night she went through the vanishing.” You wiped furiously at a tear that threatened to spill over.
“Ulji mala.” He reached out and wiped a tear from the other side.
“We should talk about something else. oneul mwohaesso?” You said then gave a dazzling smile. It was the one you’d been giving cameras for years.
“I was actually at the beach this morning when my mother called. I needed a break. You?”
“With Ravi eating breakfast. I almost brought him with me. Could you have imagined? We never would have all fit at this table.” You sounded hollow even to your own ears.
“Hajima.”
“Mwo?”
“Don’t fake around me. If you’re upset, as your friend, I want to know. Truth is more valuable to me than your happy face. If you don’t mind, we should probably walk out together. I don’t want my mother bothering me and I know you don’t want to speak to your stepmother.” He said standing when he paid for the food.
“We should separate at the front as well. The press is still outside. This has to go well enough that we don’t insult each others families, but badly enough that we don’t get engaged. Sound about right? Press photos would ruin that for us.” You said making an effort to smile when you saw your stepmother looking at you suspicion clear in her gaze.
“Call Ravi to pick you up. Your cab already left. Oh and if we ever get out of this mess you and I should do this for real sometime.” He said when someone passed by giving you a knowing smirk, kissing your cheek and heading out of the door.
There were camera flashes everywhere when you finally stepped outside receiving the call that ravi was going to be pulling up any moment. He didn’t bother to get out of the car because you’d asked him not to but when you got inside nothing stopped him from grabbing your jaw and kissing you possessively on the lips. “What was that for?” you asked laughing at the satisfied expression on his face. “Just making sure whoever that date was with didn’t steal my girl. It’s too early for me to lose you to some random jackass.” He said smirking when you swatted his arm.
“Why didn’t you want me to come inside?”
“My stepmother is still in there.”
“Point made. I’ve hated that woman since the first time I met her.”
“Mwo?” You asked shocked.
“ dangsin-i algo haji anh-assda? Our fathers met last week.”
“Waeyo?”
“Business I guess. Not a big deal. No punches were thrown this time. Your stepmother and my mom seemed really friendly but I swear my dad looked like he wanted to throw yours out on his ass.” He said shrugging.
“Oh.”
“Wae? Worried it was about you?” He chuckled.
“Jogum. Something that Le- my date said in there about our parents and how they’d never agree to the two of us.” You didn’t know why you’d decided not to tell him about Leo but something about it just felt wrong. Like it wasn’t your story to tell or something. Leo would probably say something so it wasn’t a big deal.
“Ah. So that’s why. If the press had gotten pictures of us we’d be in trouble. Gwaenchan-a. We will keep things to ourselves for now but promise me something.”
“ amugeosdo.”
“In a few months if this is still going well will you at least think about us moving in together and going public? I can’t sit by and watch you date other guys forever.”
“Well I promised didn’t I?” You replied smiling widely when the shock of what he’d said went away. He was serious about this, about the two of you. this was different than the drawer he had at your apartment and the little things you kept at his. What he was talking about was the two of you being together for almost a year and making a move to spending the rest of your lives together. If only you only knew how short of a moment that was going to be. Maybe you would have changed your mind. Then again maybe not.
Notes
comments are appreciated. Stay happy
