Immediately, Ashma looked at Eun-Kyung and gestured to her not to stop Bong-Cha. Everybody else was staring at Bong-Cha's red face. Everyone was tense except Young-Jae, he was enjoying the moment. The girl who kept winning with him was about to lose to his granddaughter, well his one granddaughter was about to lose to another granddaughter. His one granddaughter was about to be chastised by another.
"But…" protested Eun-Kyung.
Ashma looked at Eun-Kyung with determination and requested, "Mumma! Let her." What Ashma wished for was about to come true. She wanted Bong-Cha to scold her and she was about to be scolded, mercilessly.
"Shut up! Don't say a single word. You are not allowed to speak after what you just did," shouted Bong-Cha. Ashma looked at Bong-Cha and nodded to let her know that she won't speak again and she was free to scold her to her heart's content.
Ashma tried hard not to cry. It is been days that she kept crying and crying and she was now annoyed with crying. First, her life became chaotic when she received a phone call. All through her house, everyone just kept crying, then her life turned topsy-turvy after coming to Korea. Just one day, she spent just one day in Korea and her mother was lying sick and she again spent the whole day either being angry or just crying.
Everyone kept looking at Ashma and Bong-Cha one by one as if they were watching a tennis match. But in this game, Ashma already accepted her defeat. Only Young-Jae was smiling from ear to ear. He had his hands in his pocket and was looking at Bong-Cha blissfully.
"How dare you?" grumbled Bong-Cha. Ashma was ready for the admonishing. "How dare you step a foot out of this house?"
Ashma instantly lifted her head and looked at Bong-Cha with shock. "What is she saying? What does she mean?" thought Ashma.
"Is this your opinion of me? Is this what you think about us? Your mother is sick, you are in distress and we will kick you out of the house? You need family and we will send you away from us?" Bong-Cha kept shouting at the top of her lungs.
Ashma looked at her with her mouth open. What she wanted to hear, Bong-Cha was talking the exact opposite of that. She said such harsh words but Bong-Cha was not angry at that. She was angry because Ashma was trying to leave. The irritating and annoying tears started flowing out of her eyes down her cheeks. She didn't make any effort to wipe them away.
It was now the turn of family members to smile. The atmosphere turned light from heavy. Young-Jae was irked by Bong-Cha, she was supposed to scold her. She was shouting at Ashma but the words were wrong.
"Sonnyuh!" yelled Young-Jae.
"I am sorry Harabuhji but you keep quiet. Everything is your fault. If you would have not hidden her existence from us, I would not have to tell her a lie to bring her here. All I wanted was to know my sister but I ended up causing a problem for her. Yes, she scolded me, yes she called me names, but what would you do if you find your mother in such a condition? She knows no one here. She cannot use her name, her influence as that would lead to getting the secret out. The secret, that the Park family had another child. Do you want it to be out in the open? Moreover, you broke your promise. We made a pact that neither I will force her to stay nor you will force her to leave. But you forced her to leave," scolded Bong-Cha. What Young-Jae expected, the opposite of it happened. Instead of Ashma, he was berated.
"I didn't, she is leaving on her own free will," objected Young-Jae with all the innocence he could muster in his voice.
"Is she? Her mother fell ill because of me, because of a lie I told. She was right in scolding me but you are throwing your granddaughter out of your house because you don't like her. Because she reminds you of an insubordinate act that your son did."
"Sonnyuh!" shouted Young-Jae.
"No, I don't want to hear a single word out of your mouth. You broke your promise, your punishment is I am not going to talk to you for… two… no, one day." She stomped her foot in anger. "I am so angry at you." She was visibly shivering with anger.
Young-Jae was not ready to back down. "But now you are asking her to stay, so what about your promise."
"Really? Do you think I was born just yesterday? Do you think I am going to ask her to stay? And remember I am not talking to you. Uhmma!"
Eun-Kyung smiled at Bong-Cha and then looked at Ashma who had confusion written all over her face. "If you really want us to forgive you, you will stay with us, in this house. If you step a single step outside this house, I will never forgive you," said Eun-Kyung.
"Neither will I," said Bong-Cha.
"Me too," nodded Baek-Hyeon.
Young-Soo smiled at his family. He was lucky to have such a nice, understanding family. They happily accepted his elder child.
Ashma scoffed at Baek-Hyeon and then looked at Eun-Kyung. Eun-Kyung opened her arms and invited her for a hug. Tears started falling with double the speed. Lines after lines were forming on Ashma's face. Her nose started running. Her eyes were red and started burning due to constant crying. She let her luggage fall and ran in Eun-Kyung's arms.
"I love you, Mumma," cried Ashma. Young-Jae was fuming with anger. Smokes were coming out of his ears. His blood boiled. Without saying a word to any of his family members, he gritted his teeth, clenched his fists and ran away to his room.
"I love you too kiddo, your mom will get all better by tomorrow. Don't you worry."
"I am so sorry," Ashma kept crying.
"I heard about Ashma's anger but saw it for the first time," said Eun-Kyung to lighten the mood.
"Work with her, you will always hear it," chuckled Bong-Cha. Everyone smiled yet tears of happiness were falling from their eyes. Yong-Sun was particularly happy with Bong-Cha. His sweet Bongie proved to be a mature kid. He was happy for Ashma too. Today, she saw the true meaning of family. No matter you have a fight with family, they will always love and support you.
Ashma let Eun-Kyung go from her embrace and moved towards Bong-Cha.
"I am very sorry," said Ashma. Bong-Cha again threw herself at Ashma and hugged her. For the first time, Ashma accepted her hug and hugged her back. She didn't flinch, she didn't avoid her hugs, she reciprocated Bong-Cha's feelings.
After she was done hugging Bong-Cha, she went to Young-Soo. She avoided looking him into his eyes. She glanced once or twice at him and said, "I am sorry for the way I spoke to you. I am very sorry for my behaviour. Please forgive me."
Young-Soo placed his hands over her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. She didn't reciprocate his hug. In the back of her mind, she was still not ready to accept him as her father. He sobbed with happiness. For the first time ever, he was hugging his firstborn. His child was close to his heart. The feelings, the emotions inside his heart was overwhelming. He never wanted to let her go. He didn't mind that she was not hugging him back. All he knew was he was holding his kid for the very first time. He was close to his child for the first time in 28 years.
He lost all her childhood, all her teenage years, all her adulthood. He missed her first step, the first word, the first wound, the first failure, the first achievements, he missed all the firsts, all the seconds. So he was savouring the first hug.
"My turn," announced Baek-Hyeon. But Young-Soo was not ready to let her go.
"Shut up!" said Young-Soo. Eun-Kyung smiled with tears in her eyes after seeing the reunion of her best friend and his daughter. Everyone was smiling. Jong-Woo had his heart filled with warmth after seeing the hug of a father and daughter. The moment Young-Soo patiently waited for all his life came true today. He met his daughter and hugged her. He wished for Yu-Jin to be alive and see this scene with his own eyes and be happy for his friend.
"I am sorry, Baek-Hyeon," said Ashma, still in her father's arms.
"I am not asking for sorry. I am asking for a hug," pouted Baek-Hyeon. He folded his arms across his chest in protest. Young-Soo laughed at his drama and let Ashma go. She went ahead and hugged Baek-Hyeon with a smile on her face. He rocked her left and right. Everyone chuckled loudly. Young-Jae sat furiously inside his room, hearing all the noises from downstairs.
After getting out of Baek-Hyeon arms she went up to Hae-Won and Jong-Woo and Chin-Sun one by one and said sorry. All forgave her happily and wished for her mother to get well soon.
The only person left to say something was Yong-Sun.