“I’m going out.” Eun Jung told the couple who was watching TV together.
“Nana, you should come with me!” She suggested. Eun Jung had been living with the couple for 2 months now and she genuinely wanted to catch up with Nana.
“Where are you going?” Nana turned her attention to Eun Jung.
“Just to dinner. We need to catch up. We haven’t gone out together in so long!”
Nana thought about this option. Eun Jung was right. They needed some girl to girl time together. She had moved in already for about 2 months and yet Nana hadn’t properly had a dinner with Eun Jung. “Alright…” She nodded. “I’m gonna go out with Eun Jung.” She turned to Yoon Sung and said.
“Okay.” Yoon Sung shrugged. He didn’t mind. And Eun Jung was right, since Nana was her cousin, she really did need to spend some quality time with her to catch up and Yoon Sung shouldn’t be there to distract them or be an awkward outcast.
“Let me go change real quick.” Nana walked towards her room.
“It’s fine, let’s just go.” Eun Jung grabbed Nana by the arm and led her out the door.
“Yah…” Nana was taken by surprise. “I can’t just go out like this… you look all nice and dressed up and I just look…”
“I have some clothes for you.” Eun Jung wore a strapless tight fitting dress with a denim jacket on the outside with some four inch heels. She fished for some clothes in her bag and took out a light blue tight fitting-low cut dress. “I grabbed a pair of heels on my way out too.”
“Whoa… I do not need to be looking like this to dinner… where are we going?”
“Having a girls’ night out.” Eun Jung winked. “It’s your birthday tomorrow and I figured that you’d be spending your day with Yoon Sung. So let me celebrate with you tonight, okay?”
“But…”
“Come on, just let loose! Tonight, don’t worry about anything. I promise it’ll be fun.”
Nana sighed. She wanted to have fun and all but Eun Jung was just so different from her personality wise, it would be hard for her to completely let loose. “Okay… but do I have to wear that dress…”
Eun Jung rolled her eyes and grabbed Nana by her arm leading her to a coffee shop close by. “Go into the bathroom and change.” She handed her the shoes and the dress.
“Do I have to—”
“Just do it.” Eun Jung pushed her inside with a grin on her face.
After a few minutes, Nana came out with the outfit in a complete new light. She looked fun, hot, and ready to go out.
“You look amazing!” Eun Jung cheered. “You are so pretty, unni [an older sister or older female]!”
“Really?” Nana smiled and straightened her dress out.
“Come on, let’s go.” Eun Jung, again, grabbed Nana’s arm and led her somewhere while Nana was clueless.
“Where are we going?”
“A club.”
“No way!” Nana broke free of her cousin’s grip.
“Why? Let’s just have some fun!” Eun Jung stopped walking and looked at Nana.
“I’m not that type of person… besides, you know what happens at clubs… the last time I was there, I didn’t have such a pleasant experience.” She referred to that time where this guy grabbed her by her waist and almost harassed her into his car.
“It’ll be fine.” Eun Jung said. “Just think of it as spending time with your lonely cousin. I don’t have any friends around here…”
Nana was still uneasy with the idea of clubbing, but hey, she hadn’t gone out in so long, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea… “Fine, I’ll do it.”
“Alright! Let’s go!” Eun Jung hailed a cab.
__
As Eun Jung danced to the music with a guy, Nana sat down in a stool near the bar. She wasn’t interested in meeting any men. She was deeply in love with this jerk that went by the name Lee Yoon Sung. She smiled just at the thought of that unlucky bastard whom she could no longer live without. Nana sat there in deep thought while fiddling with the ring on her finger.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Eun Jung came and sat down next to her. “You’ve been sitting here for like almost an hour already, are you not bored?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you thirsty? Do you want a drink?” Eun Jung asked Nana as she motioned for the bartender to come over.
“Sure…” The least Nana could do was have a drink, or else she would feel like a huge disappointment to Eun Jung, who brought her here to have fun.
“Two beers.” Eun Jung said to the bartender. A few seconds later, the bartender placed the two beers onto the table.
“Cheers to your birthday tomorrow.” Eun Jung raised her glass.
“Thanks.” Nana responded by doing the same.
As Nana was about to take a sip of the beer, all of a sudden, she experienced a strange nauseous feeling, as if a strong force was rejecting the alcohol. She immediately put down her glass and rushed to the bathroom.
Eun Jung looked at her in shock and followed her into the bathroom. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah I’m fine.” Nana vomited into the sink.
“No you’re not… you didn’t even start drinking yet! What’s wrong? Are you sick?” Eun Jung patted her back as she asked in true concern.
“Maybe I ate something wrong…” Nana washed her lips with water and turned around to Eun Jung.
“Let’s go home.” Eun Jung could see Nana’s sick and pale complexion and at that moment, she knew her cousin’s health was more important than any fun.
“No, it’s okay, I’ll just go home myself. You can stay and have fun.”
“Kim Nana, you’re obviously sick and in a weak state right now. Do you think I can just let you go home by yourself? What if you faint? What if you lose your balance? Who’s going to help you?”
“I don’t want to ruin your fun just because of some stupid sickness of mine.” Nana was stubborn and would always be stubborn.
“Nothing is more important than your health.” Eun Jung said in a sincere tone. She really did care about Nana because she was family and family love and care for each other. “Let’s get you home.”
__
The next morning, Nana woke up to Yoon Sung sitting by her side. “Do you feel better?” He asked her as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“Yeah.” Nana sat up slowly. “Did you not sleep all night?”
“I did but I woke up earlier to see if you were okay.”
“Well I’m fine.” She attempted to get out of bed.
“Sleep for a little more.” Yoon Sung stopped her from getting up. “You still look a bit sick.”
“I’m fine, Yoon Sung.” Nana got up anyway.
“It’s your birthday today.” Yoon Sung said spontaneously.
“I know.” Nana got a cup of water. “That’s why I need to get out of bed.”
“Yah, Kim Nana, you’re always so stubborn. You obviously don’t look well enough right now to do anything.”
“I know what’s best for me. I don’t need you to tell me what to do all the time.” Nana said to Yoon Sung. “Where’s Eun Jung?”
“She said she finally found a part time job.” Yoon Sung said. “So what exactly does Eun Jung do for a living? What did she do before moving here?”
“I’m not sure. She jumped around a lot. She’s not the type of girl that sticks to one thing.” Nana replied. “She studied law, but then studied something else. Her family had money so they paid for her education.”
The more Yoon Sung learned about Eun Jung and the more time he spent with her, he slowly decided that she wasn’t as dangerous as he thought she was. Maybe her meeting with Nana at the wedding was an honest coincidence. Sometimes Yoon Sung knew he was paranoid. He knew it was far too early for him to live a normal life again, but he should try. He should at least let go of his past. He even followed Eun Jung around before and he had found almost no suspicions about her. The more Yoon Sung thought about this, the more he realized that he was just being difficult and paranoid.
“Try to get along with her more.” Nana suggested.
“Aren’t you scared she might get attracted to me? You know I’m very attractive…” Yoon Sung joked.
Nana looked at Yoon Sung and laughed as she turned on the TV. “Eun Jung is the type of girl that doesn’t stick with something for too long. Even if she does become attracted to you, two minutes later, she’ll find another person that attracts her more.”
Yoon Sung wasn’t the type that liked to show concern. He was raised by a man who showed no emotions or concern; therefore, he didn’t like to show emotions either. But Nana had taught him different. Ever since he had been with Nana, his emotions were starting to roam more freely.
But right now, he couldn’t help but feel something different about Nana. She was giving off a different vibe. He is starting to have a feeling that Nana wasn’t just sick. Something was either bothering her or happening to her.
__
Later on the day, Yoon Sung wanted Nana to stay home while he made an excuse to go out so he could buy the ingredients to a nice meal. He wanted to cook with Nana for her birthday. He wanted the two of them to have some nice private time. He had talk to Eun Jung and asked her to go out during the two hours he wanted to cook and eat with Nana.
While Nana sat at home with a strange headache, she listened to Yoon Sung and went back to bed. This was not a good way to celebrate her birthday. She felt cold, sick, and irritable but she didn’t want Yoon Sung to worry.
While lying in bed, Nana tried to backtrack on what she might’ve eaten or where she might’ve went that got her in this state. But she couldn’t seem to pinpoint how she got sick.
As she got out of bed, she felt a sudden dizziness, the floor was shifting and that was the last thing she saw before her body collapsed on the floor.
As Nana opened her eyes again, the only person she could see was Ahjumma, who was shaking her body. “What happened?” Ahjumma asked.
“I don’t know.” Nana sat up from the floor. “I feel very nauseous and tired.”
“Here let me help you up.” Ahjumma grabbed Nana’s arm and her back carefully.
“Kamsahamnida [Thank you].” Nana got up. “How did you get in?”
“The door was unlocked.”
Nana always forgot to lock her front door and Yoon Sung would always pester her about it.
“I came by to drop off some seaweed soup I made for your birthday.” Ahjumma gave Nana a warm smile as they sat down on the couch together. “You look paler than usual… are you sure you’re alright?”
** Koreans drink seaweed soup for birthdays**
“I think I just ate something wrong or caught the flu… the weather is getting colder.” Nana looked over at the table where the seaweed soup sits. “Thank you again, Ahjumma.”
Ahjumma touched Nana’s forehead to check for a fever, however, she did not detect any signs of a fever from her body temperature. “Nana, look at me.” She asked Nana to look into her eyes. Ahjumma had encountered many people in life. And she was almost never wrong when she has a feeling something would happen. She had seen enough situations to know what went wrong in someone’s life by merely the look of their eyes.
Although Nana seemed ill and was tired and exhausted, her eyes twinkled with life and hope. And right there, at that moment, Ahjumma knew what was happening. “Have you been having strange cravings and rejection with foods?”
“Kind of…” Nana thought about some things.
“Do you sometimes feel bloated and sore?”
“A bit.” Nana answered.
“Has it been three weeks?”
As Nana heard this question, she immediately sat up and pondered while a sudden rush of shame, confusion, guilt, and panic overcame her emotions.
“Nana-ah… are you alright?”
“I… Ahjumma I…. oh no…” Nana got up from the couch and took deep breaths as she closed her eyes. Her emotions were spinning out of control and her mind kept on screaming at her. This should not happen! You should have been more careful! You shouldn’t be doing that with him anyway!
At that moment, everything Ahjumma had asked her and all the symptoms have matched up. She finally started to realize something that would change her life forever.
“Nana, calm down, come here…”
“I can’t believe this…” Nana sat down again next to Ahjumma.
“Your eyes depict two lives. Although you’re worn out from the symptoms, I could see within your eyes, another life was twinkling.” Ahjumma smiled at Nana. “I can always tell a pregnant woman from her eyes.”
Nana looked away with a single teardrop that rolled from her eye. She didn’t know what to do. She knew Yoon Sung didn’t want a child right now. And she knew it wasn’t the right time to have a child. She was scared, frightened, and ashamed.
“I’ll leave you alone to think about certain things. After you have calmed down, call me, and maybe we can schedule an appointment at the hospital to know for sure.” Ahjumma smiled at Nana as she put her hand on her shoulder reassuring her support in Nana. “I had Yoon Sung before I was married too, and unexpectedly.” And after that last sentence, Ahjumma left the apartment.
Nana was still in a shocked and panicked stage. What would others think of her as? She was not married and only knew Yoon Sung for a year. Would they think of her as a skank? Even though she was 27 and just turned 28 today, there was still stigma to carry around if she was really pregnant right now. This was so out of her character. Last year, before she met Yoon Sung and before all of this happened, she was just an innocent girl trying to pay hospital bills, and now, she might become an unmarried pregnant woman.
Yoon Sung most definitely did not want a child right now and she was scared of their relationship being ruined.
Nana knew she shouldn’t have let her guard down so easily. How could she lose all her self respect and conservativeness when she was with Yoon Sung? How could she make a mistake like this?
Nana heard the front door open and immediately wiped her tears away.
“Yah, Kim Nana, do you feel better now?” Yoon Sung walked inside the apartment.
“All better.” Nana tried to smile and fix her appearance.
“Are you crying?” Yoon Sung put down his groceries and analyzed her face.
“Ani [No].” Nana forced a smile. “I was watching this scene from a drama…”
Yoon Sung knew there was something up with Nana. He could tell by her fake smile. It was not just a sad drama that made her cry…
“Okay then.” But he let it go for now.
The whole time Yoon Sung and Nana made their dinner together, there were more silences than laughs and things Nana would usually laugh at Yoon Sung at were suppressed.
By the time they started eating, Yoon Sung could tell, something was really wrong and was really bothering Nana. To the point where she didn’t even say anything to him when he picked out all the vegetables.
“That’s it. Tell me now.” He put down his chopsticks.
“What?” Nana looked down at her bowl of rice emotionlessly.
“I know something’s wrong.”
“Nothing.” Nana smiled at him. “I’m just… sick.”
Usually, Yoon Sung wouldn’t let something like this go. However, he didn’t want to ruin her birthday so he kept silent. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
All throughout the meal, they barely said a word to each other.
“Do you want a glass of wine?” Yoon Sung asked her as he poured himself some red wine.
“No!” Nana exclaimed.
Taken back by surprise, Yoon Sung put away the wine. Nana is acting extremely odd right now. Again, trying not to ruin her birthday night, Yoon Sung didn’t say anything, because he knew when he tried to show concern, it often ruined a peaceful night.
After they finished eating, Nana volunteered to clean up the plates in attempt to act more enthusiastic.
After Yoon Sung takes out the gifts he had hidden underneath the couch, he went over to Nana and turned her around from the sink. “Saeng il chook ah hamnida [Happy Birthday].” Yoon Sung said to her with a grin and admittedly a bit shyly. “Saranghae [I love you.]” He was not as good at confessing love as Nana was.
Nana looked up to his eyes and smiled, this time, a true smile. “Thank you.”
Yoon Sung responded by pulling her into a hug, much like the hug from that after their kiss on the rooftop that one night, their second kiss, but first true kiss.
From his genuine hug and eyes, Nana felt a bit happier again, but still, a sense of uncertainty, confusion, and shame was all over her body. She was worried, worried even though she didn’t know if she was pregnant for certain yet, she was still starting to worry about her future.
__
Omg what do you guys think? I know it’s a big change but this is part of the storyline I planned because this was the only thing that would really shake up their relationship and alter their fates.
By the way, I did my research and found out that it is a lot less common in South Korea than the United States
And I also did my research on early pregnancy symptoms.
I actually don't really like this chapter and don't like the way I wrote it. But I don't really know how to improve it.
Thank you for the comments last time!
I expect the same this time :) Please comment!
I expect the same this time :) Please comment!
I really want to know what you think of how I completely added a twist to the story.
Although it's a fan fiction but you write it so beautifully that I don't mind seeing this story as continuation of actual City hunter. I'm loving it but this 'baby' angel is making me very uneasy. As far as Nana & Yun Sung from ch are concerned they will never ever cross their limits before marriage especially Nana because she's an extremely dignified girl. In case you don't mind then plz make some changes..I'm not liking this nana who's all worried thinking that something happened between her n yun sung as I know that no matter how much she loves YS but she will never ever do such a thing, true love is free from lust, i'm liking the idea of YS crossing his limits and i'm not liking the idea of their love being so weak that they ended up in bed. Kissing & all is fine but otherwise I want both the characters to stay in limits and maintain a dignity. if you can then plz somehow make nana believe that even though she n YS share the same bed still they never crossed the line n didn't do anything inappropriate. That way I'll be able to continue respecting both nana n yun sung. It's very difficult for me to respect the couples who sleep around with each other without getting married.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will not mind what and will consider my suggestion.
**correction I'm not liking the idea of YS crossing his limits
ReplyDeleteHey, Drishti!
ReplyDeleteI don't want to comment on my own chapter but I think this is the only way I can speak you so I hope you're reading this. I'm very sorry to hear that you feel uneasy with the idea that they are not married but are sleeping with each other. I totally understand that. Different cultures/religions have different beliefs. I did not think about this actually. I neglected people of other cultures that might be reading this fanfiction. I apologize. I live in America and was raised nonreligiously, so technically, my parents have not valued abstinence until marriage and do not enforce it. However that does not mean they have taught me to "sleep around". In my case, I was taught that as long as that person is someone you love and will take the consequences, it is okay to sleep with the person before marriage. But I completely overlooked it from other cultural/religious standpoints and I apologize.
I tried to make this fanfic very non-explicit. There are some very very explicit fanfics out there and I try to make it not like that because I feel that I wanted to cater this fanfiction to all cultures since City Hunter attracts people from around the world but I have neglected the whole concept of sex and marriage. I'm very very sorry. I don't know if it's possible for me to change the story now because I have it all planned out.
But hear me out and it just might ease your mind a little bit :D
One of the reasons why I made Nana have this whole pregnancy before marriage thing was because of how Yoon Sung's mother was in the same position when she had Yoon Sung. I wanted to just show that again as kind of like repetition of fate sort of thing, you know what I mean?
And also, I needed an obstacle in this story for them to overcome.
And because I had to add in a pregnancy, that is why I had them have sex in their relationship (because that's where babies come from lol).
I'm sorry that I neglected your view points and the way you look at marriage/abstinence. I really am, but I don't know if I can change the way the story is going. I am trying to make it as non-explicit as possible while at the same time satisfying all the fans that DO like the 'hot' moments.
I'm really trying to get the best of both worlds.
Anyway, thanks for telling me your honest opinion :)
Plz don't be sorry, I understand. It's just that it's hard for me to picturise nana as a sort of girl who'll do such a thing before marriage & as far as I know it isn't even in Korean culture. It's true that as long as you love the person and are willing to take the consequences then it shouldn't be an issue but then if two people love each other and are ready to take the consequences then what's the issue in getting married? I don't get why YS can sleep with her but not marry her? If not formally he can at least do it informally right? Marriage gives a whole new aspect to the relationship n it's actually beautiful to see couples getting committed to this institution & then going ahead with their relationship. Anyways, if you are planning to put nana in the same situation as yun sungs mom then there's nothing I can do but it's actually really sad to read nana & yun sung's character so messed up, weak n lose. Oh well...
ReplyDeletewhat?! omg yoon sung n nana no ways. have to agree with driti. why should nana go through the same path as Ys mom. his mom was the second women in presidents life but its not the case with nana shes the only girl in ys life. this part makes her look like any random girl who got ready to sleep with ys in past. she deserves respectful status in his life..status of his wife becuz shez the girl who will give that right only to her husband n not boyfriend. there can be many boyfriends in her life but not many husbands. same goes for ys he had many girlfriends in past so nana deserves a different status from those girls as he truly loves her. there should be something which sets apart ys from other guys in nanas life n sets apart nana from other girls in ys's life. nana ain't like his mom...his mom did completely wrong by sleeping with a married man. nana wont do that. ys-nana need to respect their relationship before taking it to the next level n only way they can respect it is by giving it a legit status. being bf-gf & in love is not enough for nana or ys to have s*x with each other. committment is very important in every relationship. i'd rather want NN to respect herself n not allow ys to sleep with her if ys can't respect her n give her the status of his wife. she aint kind of girl to have s*x with her boyfriends n ys should know this. that right should belong to her husband.
ReplyDeleteys once said in episode 12 of city hunter that what kind of girls enter a guys room just like that by that he meant to say that only lowly girls act that way. if he was not fine with the girl he loves entering his room then how can he actually do it with her or how can she let him do it? so unlike nana n ys. but since its ur ff its ur choice how u shape it i just wanted to tell how wrong it looks.
Hi Anonymous and Drishti!
ReplyDeleteI understand where you're coming from. And while I was writing this chapter, I had many many doubts and I knew it would get negativity. I know Nana doesn't seem like a girl that would "act that way" but I was trying to make it realistic. But again, I forgot to think about people who do believe abstinence until marriage. To me, I felt like it was perfectly normal. Yoon Sung and Nana didn't just get into bed so easily. YS actually really loves NN. And what I wanted to show was how they were actually special to each other. I'm sure YS wouldn't just go and get the girls he had met before at clubs pregnant. Because YS might look like a player but he actually really respects women.
I've actually been thinking about how to progress this storyline and because YS and NN's relationship is already at a stage where NN can't live without YS (like she said in one of the later episodes), I feel like it would be reasonable for them to have sex with each other. I've also read other City Hunter related fanfic and one of the better ones was actually a post-sex scene. It really shows their love to each other. I know sex doesn't equal love but it's hard to depict love between two grown adults in their late 20s to act like a teenage relationship. I was honestly trying to make their relationship more realistic but I didn't think about how it wouldn't be realistic to some people because of their different values. And I was actually trying to write out how Nana is slowly regretting this. I can't make this fanfic all lovey dovey all the time. It has to have a big obstacle for them or else it would just be a serious of cute moments. I would love to write that but that's not how I'm approaching this fanfic.
YS resepcts NN a lot. And just because they had sex doesn't mean he doesn't respect her. Come on now, how can two grown adults sleep next to each other everyday and have completely nothing happen? And it would be weird for them to not sleep in the same bed, a lot of people would complain about that too. So please understand where I'm coming from.
I'm trying to please people who all believe in different things and values and it can get tough, so I just started thinking about what I want to happen in this story. And what I want to happen and what I really think will truly make the story more interesting was this.
I believe sex is something two people have when they are truly ready and know they truly love each other, no matter married or not married or how long they've been together. And sex shouldn't be something too exclusive to the point where even two almost 30 year olds will have to reject. Sex should not create too much stigma on someone who is in their late 20s and also having it with someone they truly love. And NN and YS truly love each other. But that's just my belief, and I happen to be writing this fanfic. Again, I feel really bad for not be able to cater to your view points on situations as sensitive as this. I really do.
Thank you for giving me your honest opinion, I appreciate it, so I hope you'll listen to my honest explanation as well.
hello sis. i can envision where the storyline is leading and i'm so excited about it. keep it coming. thanks.
ReplyDeleteI liked this chapter! I think that as a writer, you have your own beliefs and viewpoints on things and while it's ok for people to give you constructive criticism, they don't have to urge you to change the story just because it doesn't agree with their tastes (hint hint to first commentor). This is merely a work of fiction and by reading your fanfic, I think everyone should be open-minded to accept whatever the writer wants to convey.
ReplyDeletePlease keep up the good work! Can't wait to find out how Yoonsung reacts to the baby news!
CHFF I totaly agree with you, I love the history, keep it coming!!
ReplyDeleteThis is actually pretty good, despite the whole situation with hitting controversial issues. (: I love the "full circle" situation with ajumma and Nana. And the regret she felt seemed genuine in the story. I think that for Nana and Yoon Sung, they both felt they were practically married. They went through so much together, and have developed a trust that can't really be broken. I think this chapter showed Nana's weak side, and stayed true to her character in the actual drama. (: And she's human, too! Even though she's depicted as naive, she IS attracted to Yoon Sung.
ReplyDeleteahh..my favorite part was the really cute hug at the end!!!! *fangirl-ing*
well done! you depicted the scene well, despite the awkwardness of the situation.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter is love! While I do respect the opinions of others on the situation, I'm loving the direction of the story. I agree with what you said about how normal it is for adults in their late 20s to engage in such thing. I meant no offense here, but I'm just being realistic. I just don't think sex should still be considered taboo in our modern society. This is just my opinion though.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm off to read the next chapter. :)
To CHFF,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree with Drishti that people should wait to have intimate relationship before getting married, I recognize that you have worked hard on this fanfic.
It's hard to satisfied every reader and it's too late to change the past (which Nana is pregnant with YS's baby). Therefore, as long as the story lines are fair and reasonable, just keep on writing and let your imagination soar.
Oh, I was surprised about this chapter and I would not expect Nana to go that far yet either. But I find these comments a bit offensive, though I understand not all cultures are very accepting of this kind of thing. My sister gave birth at 20 and got married about a month afterwards, which both I and my parents found acceptable, so it's a little hard for my to understand how people can get THAT upset over it.. Not everyone has the same values, pregnancy before marriage does not have to become a scandal. As for me, I don't even feel marriage is necessary at all. I feel that even if you get pregnant you can still live in a relationship without marriage. Cultures sure differ huh. Anyhow, I'm not sure yet whether I like the twist or not, but it surely will shake their relationship up.
ReplyDeletei have always seen all korean dramas as an inverted u-shaped graph....it takes off slowly then reaches a peak and then things becoming slowly but still very aggressively peaceful..... i guess this is the climax! simply loved it....its just that you've introduced ahjumma too early....but its your imagination...and let me tell ypu it aounds brilliant!
ReplyDeleteAnki<3