XXI. Echoes

“Ennui is the echo in us, of time tearing itself apart.”  ~ Emile M. Cioran

At the Company Party in Osaka, Japan.

 Hae- Jin could see Jun in a separate group some distance from them next to his older brother CEO, Jeong Min. Next to them stood two businessmen. All four were in deep conversation.

The room became quiet as the next VIP’s entering the party were announced at the door. First, they announced, “President Hwang Ae-Ri!” All eyes turned to the door.

Hae- Jin knew she was holding her breath for a minute. A modern-day version of Yeon-Hwa stood at the entrance resplendent in a red dress. Her hair was pulled back. She wore what looked like a diamond necklace and matching dangling earrings. A black bolero jacket that could best be described as sculpted to her body topped her wide skirt. Every inch of her exuded the air of a confident corporate President.

Next to her stood her Vice President, Ji-Yun also looking confident in a black tuxedo.

Hae- Jin could recognized him as the driver of the sportscar they had met. Vice President Ji-Yun seemed to remember her too for as he turned to look around at those joining the party his eyes seemed to fix on her, making Hae -Jin feel self-conscious.

President Hwang noticed the exchange. She had turned and lightly hooked her arm around the Vice-President’s arm to have him escort her into the party, momentarily bringing his attention back to her.

Hae- Jin’s sense of discomfort continued to increase as the party progressed.

She suddenly regretted having eaten the two pieces of sushi on her plate. The food did not seem to agree with her tonight.  She attributed this to her nerves.

Ju Hee and Jeong Ahn were deep into a discussion about traditional versus modern instruments.

Hae -Jin placed one hand lightly on her stomach.

The room seemed suddenly warm. She touched her forehead feeling herself breaking out into a cold sweat.  She would need to step outside for a minute.

“Hae- Jin are you, all right?” Jeong Ahn had asked.

“I think I’ll need to step out just for a minute.  It just feels a bit warm in here with all of these people.” She said to him trying to reassure him with a smile.

“I’ll come with you.” Ju Hee had said to her.

“No don’t Ju Hee. Stay. You both finally will get some time to yourselves. Make the most of it.” Hae -Jin said to her.

“I’ll be right back, go light on that sushi….” she added walking away.

Outside the party room she walked down a long elegant corridor of the hotel. Large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling making the hall seem imposing and her feel small.

She remembered seeing a small store with necessities for guests in the lobby of the Hotel as they arrived, perhaps she could buy herself some medicine for her upset stomach?

Hae -Jin continued walking trying to locate which of the doors in the hall might be the restroom. She wanted to splash some water on her face. The lights felt very bright, making her shield her eyes. 

She was feeling light headed.

She turned a corner into one of the halls on her left and heard what sounded like an argument taking place. The loudness of the argument made her stop.  She removed her hand shielding her eyes from the bright lights and saw the people standing in the Hall.

President Hwang Ae-Ri stood next to Vice 

President Ji-Yun and another man next to them.

Three men in black suits stood in front of them blocking their way.

Vice President Ji-Yun’s hand seemed to be shielding President Hwang Ae-Ri as his body stood in front of her.

As Hae-Jin’s footsteps came to a stop everyone turned towards her seeing her approach.

A sudden pain in her chest, made Hae-Jin pound her heart lightly with her fist.

Her sudden presence was like a trigger as everything sped up in that moment.

One of the men in suits held a gun pointing it at President Hwang. 

A shot rang out. Followed by a second.

Vice President Ji held his hand to his chest having stepped in front of President Hwang to shield her.

The room started to spin and Hae-Jin had reached towards the column next to her to keep herself steady, knocking a large ceramic vase.  It crashed and shattered onto the floor.

The sound proved enough of a distraction for the man accompanying President Hwang.  He had managed to kick the gun pointed at President Hwang out of reach from the assailant’s hand. The gun slid across the floor triggering a third shot as it landed on the floor.

The tables had turned on the men in black suits. The assailant now knelt on the floor, the kick had dislodged the gun and made him lose his balance. The man next to President Hwang was now the one holding a gun to the man kneeling, it was pointed at his head.

Sounds from the corridor of people approaching made two of the three men blocking the corridor run down the back of the hall towards the emergency exits.

President Hwang’s hand had reached towards the man next to her holding the gun as he prepared to shoot. Her hand gently lowering his arm.

The assailant followed the first two men exiting at the end of the hall.

Hae -Jin’s palm lay flat on the cold marble column as she leaned heavily against it. She saw her vision narrow on that hand before the world went dark.

 Later at the Hospital.

The sound of beeping slowly repeating was the first thing Hae-Jin heard.  Even before opening her eyes she recognized the all too familiar sound of a hospital monitor…..  Her eyes opened slowly before the bright light starting flooding in and she had to close her eyes again.

Squinting against the light, she heard someone softly calling her name. “Hae-Jin…. are you awake?”

Slowly she nodded her head. Then, shielding her eyes with her hand tried to open her eyes again. Everything still looked blurry as she tried to focus in on the face next to her.

A moment of confusion filled her…. Wait, why was she in a hospital? 

The memory of her extended stay at the hospital came back.  Was she waking from her comma?

She remembered…… Jun, and they had been at a party…….

Had that all been a dream?  What if Jun wasn’t here and this was all part of her comma induced dream?

The thought was enough to make her panic and try to rise….

Strong arms supported her as she tried to sit up.

“Hae-Jin stop, it’s all right. I’m here. I’m right here.” The sound of his voice was enough to calm her heart again. She relaxed into his arms and let him help her sit up.

“Jun?” She said.

Slowly her eyes adjusted to the light again and his face came into focus.

He sat down next to her on the hospital bed after adjusting her back pillows. She leaned against them and let her eyes slowly drink in every inch of his face. “It wasn’t a dream. He was real, and he was here with her.”

“You gave us all a scare.   We found you in the hall outside.  You fainted.” Jun said to her. 

“We brought you to the hospital for a checkup.  

Ahn said you weren’t feeling well at the party.”

As Jun spoke to her, he pushed a button on her bedside, calling the nurse.

A nurse’s voice came through the speaker letting them know a doctor was on his way.

“We still don’t know what’s wrong Hae- Jin we’re waiting for the doctor to come and tell us.” He added.

“I’m sorry. I should have walked with you Hae Jin.” Ju- Hee said. She stood next to Ahn, both looked worried.

“Nonsense..  I was the one who asked you to stay behind, Ju- Hee.”  Hae-Jin formed her words slowly.

A doctor and a nurse walked in.  The nurse smiled at them and then translated for them into Korean as the doctor addressed them.

“The doctor would like to do more testing Ms. Go Hae -Jin. He is concerned about your heart. He asks if you have felt pressure or discomfort particularly when you are stressed.  Does pounding your chest at those times seem to alleviate the pressure?” The nurse asked.

Hae - Jin stopped for a minute before answering. 

Her eyes had met Jun’s then as memories of the past came back to her. 

For a moment the whole room and everyone in it had faded out of her sight.  All she could think about was Prince Jung and her last moments in Goryeo as she heard almost clearly the words to that last song played for her at Prince Jung’s request. 

That song the singer had explained had won the heart of a King. That heart back then had carried her thru 10 years……Only 10 years.

She turned again to look at Jun, once again she had won his heart. 

It was like hearing echoes from the past again. A past that continued to repeat its patterns. Would this too be a pattern repeated to the point of tedium?