Soft Landing With You ( a 'Crash Landing on You' fanfic)

Just the Mundane Things

A beautiful tea set is placed before them by the manager of the dress shop. Given the caliber of the person serving tea, the client obviously put the 'crust' in the word 'upper crust'. Yoon Seri smiled her thanks at the manager and served her mum a cup. It was a beautiful day when they were both free so they decided to go shopping before Seri's yearly trip to Switzerland. Which better place to shop but the flagship store of Seri's Choice in Cheongdam? Others may consider her choice of store arrogant but others were not Yoon Seri. If it was hers, she might as well patronize it; the members of the house that makes good water should be the first to drink of it.

Yoon Seri nodded at the manager and smiled. The manager signalled to her assistants and they brought forward two clothing racks of beautifully cut pieces that matched the ladies' taste. From the clothes displayed, one could tell that the rack with edgy cuts and bold colors was to appeal to Seri's taste, while the simple and understated ones fit her mum's taste.
"President Yoon, these are the latest looks from this spring/summer collections. We picked the most popular pieces closest to your taste. Please have a look at it" the manager said as Seri approached the rack and scanned the clothing. Seri picked an ice blue tea length dress.

"I'm happy you could make it today. I know you have been trying to clear your schedule ahead of your trip to Switzerland." Mrs. Yoon said as she met Seri's eyes in the mirror. These last three years, Seri grew closer with her mum and it felt like the dark cloud that always hung over their relationship had finally cleared. Seri took Ri Jeong Hyuk's advise and decided to let herself love and it has paid off. She never knew the joy of interacting with someone just for the comfort and concern they have for you and not because they want something from you. The blessing of not having your guard up anytime you meet them. Even her relationship with her eldest brother and sister in law was better. But for Oppa No. 2 and Sang Ah, well, maybe in a next life.

Since their relationship got better, Seri and her mum made sure to meet at least once a week and sometimes had sleepovers at Seri's Apartment; apparently her mum liked Melodramas, Ask Us Anything¹ and Chimaek²! Who knew? But the last three weeks, they hardly saw each other what with Seri swarmed with work so that she can have two weeks to Switzerland as her vacation/work time. Work dialed down these last two days and the mother and daughter decided to go shopping and enjoy the warm weekend.

Seri handed over the blue dress to an assistant and waved her hand to ask that they be excused.
"Through some of my sources, I was able to extend our sponsorship program to North Korean students schooling in Switzerland. This is hoping that they will spread the word back home. I heard a few of them will be participating this year. Also, one of the students from the North in the sponsorship program will be playing the piece he composed. I know it could just be a coincidence but mum, in our world, how often do such coincidences take place?" Seri said, a worried look on her face as she approached her mum and took a seat beside her.

"I understand Seri ah, I just don't want you to get your hopes up and it not work out. I have seen you year after year come back without success and it took some adjustment and heartache for you to carry on. I worry, child" Mrs. Yoon said and sighed. She held Seri's hand and stroked it.

"Mum, I of all people understand the impossibility of the love I have chosen. But hope and faith is the only way I can keep it alive. So let me hope, i may fall and it may break my heart but it will keep me alive." Seri said, her eyes glistening.

"And I will be here to catch you and keep you up if that happens, okay? I'm glad to have met that young man and I dare say he is worthy of admiration. I hope, that for your sake, the bells toll." Mrs. Yoon says, and leans forward to wipe the tear from Seri's eyes that she didn't realize had escaped.

"Now, none of this. You need to try that blue dress on. I want buy you a nice dress in case you meet Lee Hyuk ssi." Mrs. Yoon says and pats Seri's shoulders.

Seri smiled and sniffles, dabbing at her eyes. "In that case, make it three dresses. You never know which I would be wearing so why not keep our options open?"
Seri picks up a golden brown summer style dress and looks herself in the mirror. She entered the changing area when her mum replied.

"CEOs and their love for money. They are no different from the regular man." Mrs. Yoon sniffed in false annoyance and took a sip of tea. Her statement humored Seri and made her recall Pyo Chi Soo's statement that he always called her, a capitalist wench. She laughed, responding, "The reason we CEOs are rich in the first place is because we love money! It's the reason our family is rich."

"Speaking of family, your sister in law is pregnant. They found out a few days ago." Mrs. Yoon smiled and said. Her eldest son and his wife loved children but had none of their own. They were considering adoption this year before this happy news came. They still intend adopting a child after this one was a little older, their words, 'too much joy is never a problem'.

"Oh wow, that explains why they have been trying to have lunch with me. Usually, they'd just show up at my office and tell me but now that Oppa is CEO, they rarely have such time." Seri said, a wistful smile on her face. "I'm happy for them. I think they will make good parents."

I would make a good parent, I also want a daughter, she thought. Or twins, you know, because Ri Jeong Hyuk ssi wants it... It was in moments like this that Seri understood the saying that money cannot buy happiness because her deepest wish is not even something she can get if she exchanged all she had for it.

¹Knowing Brother is a popular variety show on JTBC.
²Chicken and Beer, a late night snack combo popularized by the Korean drama modern classic, My Love from Another Star, starring Jun Ji Hyun and Kim Soo Hyun.