Chapter 30 The Most Valuable Thing #2
Tae’s mom left for the kitchen to make them some tea, leaving them alone.
Tae wasn’t sure what shook harder, his hands or his knees.
He sat in a chair across from her and tried to smile.
She did not smile in return. It reminded him of the first time she spoke to him about the job proposal.
He should have held his ground then. He shouldn’t have felt guilty about saying no.
He should have made it clear so that there wouldn’t, couldn’t, be a misunderstanding later down the line. He should never
have put himself, or Julia even, in that position. Halmoni continued to stare at him. Was she upset that he’d failed at the
job? Was she pissed that he hurt Julia? He would promise to make it right as soon as he could.
The silence was killing him.
“Taehyung, do you know why I asked you to help my Julia?”
Tae nodded. “Yes, because she agreed to be set up by the family. So you wanted her to maybe date someone nonthreatening that
would make her feel comfortable to eventually go on the dates the family chose.”
She shook her head. “If that was the only reason, I could have asked anyone—your brother, Min, the manager at H Mart, her
cousin Justin.”
Tae scrunched his face and tried not to take offense on Julia’s behalf at the lack of options her grandmother could have had
him practice-date with her.
“No, I asked you for a very specific reason.”
Silence.
Tae waited, head bowed. He would take whatever harsh words of punishment she had prepared for him. More silence.
Nothing.
He looked up to find Halmoni’s eyes closed, her breath even, followed by a low rumble from her nose. A snore?
Wait, did she fall asleep? Had she had some champagne before coming over? She really could sleep anywhere. Impressive.
“Um, Halmoni?”
Snore.
Should he just wait? But who knew how long it could be before she woke up? Tae reached over to give her a little shake.
She woke suddenly as if startled out of a dream. She fixed her eyes on Tae and spoke as if her little nap never happened. “Tae, did you take time to think about it?”
“Why you asked me to help Julia?” Guess she was just going to take a nap while he came up with an answer. “Well, I suppose
that maybe you believe that the rumors are true. Did you think that after dating me, Julia would find the man she was going
to marry?”
“Oh, I’m quite confident she will.”
She pulled a small silk pouch from of her apron pocket and held it out to Tae. “I know you said you didn’t want anything,
but I insist. It’s payment for the job.”
Tae wasn’t sure what was inside. A rolled wad of cash? Gold? Historic coins from Old Korea? He shook his hand, refusing to
receive it. “No, Halmoni. I’m sorry, but as I told you before, I can’t take your money. I don’t want it. It’s not right.”
He knew it would be hard to reject the payment. Koreans were stubborn about these things. But he had to. There was no way
he was doing this to Julia. He couldn’t. If he ever wanted her trust back again, if he ever wanted her in his life in some
meaningful way again, he couldn’t do it. It was the only true apology he could give her.
Grandma Song looked him in the eye, nodded, and placed the pouch down on the table between them. “Tae, you are not tall, smart,
or successful.”
Tae was five ten; it wasn’t like he was a hobbit. But fine, he’d take the hit. “You’re right, Halmoni.”
“Not in the way that people see these things. But really,” she said as she leaned in toward him, “you stand taller than anyone
because of your honor. You are the smartest because you built a reputation for being good. You are successful at caring for
others and showing loyalty. There is no one more suited for and worthy of my Julia.”
Tae swallowed down the surprising emotion brewing within him. He’d been near tears more times today than he had in a long time. He didn’t realize she saw him this way. It was an honor. But if she knew how he’d treated Julia, how unworthy he’d been, she wouldn’t be saying these things.
“Julia is not easy. Some people may think she’s intimidating . . . too honest, too stubborn, too much. She may even think
this of herself.”
Tae fisted his hands, digging his nails into his palms. Shame. He knew how those words hurt Julia, and he’d used them anyways.
“What do you think, Tae?”
Tae didn’t even have to think about it. He didn’t have to look up and wonder what her grandmother expected him to say. He
knew in his heart exactly what he thought. “It’s everything that makes her so special, Halmoni.”
She leaned back in her seat, put her hands on her knees, and slowly rose to her feet.
Tae stood as well.
“Exactly. And this is why I chose you,” she said. “You love her for everything that she is. You wouldn’t want her to be anything
less. You understand her deep loyalty to her family and encourage her to take care of us. I chose you to show Julia that she
is worthy to be loved. And you did that, just like I knew you would.” She looked down at the pouch. “Keep this. You’re going
to need it one day, when the time is right. I insist. It’s the most valuable thing I have in this life . . . other than Julia.
But it’s no longer mine. It belongs to you. Now, I must go home and sleep.”
Tae wanted to refuse. He wanted to give it back to her. He didn’t want her treasures. He didn’t want her wad of cash or her
gold or her coins. He would save it and give it to Julia when he saw her next. This should stay with her. Because, really,
the only thing of value that Tae wanted . . .
. . . was Julia herself.