Beauty Is Found Within

"She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within"

~ Beast ~

I was marching across the hospital room where the doctors prepared for the delivery. I was wearing a head cap and protective coat with gloves. Boyoung was screaming at the top of her lungs and I wondered if getting her pregnant was a good idea. I couldn't see her in so much pain.

"Mr. Seo you can come here now," said the doctor and I went to Boyoung.

She clenched my hand and I caressed her head.

"I'm going to die," she said panting.

"You're not! Trust me," I said sweating with nervousness.

"HELP!" she shouted.

I darted my eye at the doctors and nurses present there.

"If anything happens to her I'll make sure you feel ten times more pain than this!" I warned them.

"Oppa! Relax" Boyoung grabbed my wrist. "It's okay it happens,"

"No Honey, they are not doing their job well!" I gritted my teeth and glared at the doctors who appeared to be scared of me a little.

"Oppa! Calm down, take a deep breath okay," Boyoung said gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes in pain.

"Will you all do something?" I shouted at the doctors. I was getting panicked because I thought I had picked the wrong hospital.

"Mr. SEO!" Boyoung shouted. "Just stand here and encourage me to push! That's all you have to do,"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," I said leaning onto her. She was sweating badly.

She had a tough time getting the child out and it was so frustrating for me to watch! At one point I thought it was a bad idea to have kids at all. There was no use in letting Boyoung go through so much pain. I wondered how someone could dare to have another kid after knowing how painful the process is.

"I promise we will not have another kid, just survive this time," I told her.

"Yes! I'm not doing this again!" she panted. I could see her getting angry. "Make it STOP!" she shouted.

I blamed myself for putting her in that situation and said multiple times in my head that I was a fool and childbirth was nothing but pain and torture. I was even starting to get angry at the unborn kid when I suddenly heard a loud cry.

The doctors started smiling as they pulled up a tiny thing covered in blood.

"Wow you nearly killed my wife and now you're crying?" I shouted at the baby and the doctors were shocked.

"Oppa!" Boyoung yelled at me and breathed heavily. "It's your child,"

"What?" that's when I looked at it and realized that that tiny little thing was my kid. A part of me and a part of her.

"It's a girl," one of the doctors said.

I couldn't feel my legs. I had shivers running down my spine. If that was a dream, I never wanted to wake up from it. Everything felt new and unreal.

The doctors cut her umbilical cord and took her somewhere.

"Hey, where are you taking my daughter," I tried to follow them getting worried but Boyoung held me back.

"It's okay, they will clean her and give her back to you," she said in a low voice.

"Are you okay now?" I asked.

"I'm very happy," she said with tears in her eyes. "Are you?"

"Yes, I'm happy too,"

"It was worth all the pain Oppa," she said.

I kissed her on her forehead and caressed her forehead. The doctors then told me to wait outside. The moment I got out, our friends are family was eagerly waiting to hear from me.

"It's a girl," I said and everyone gathered around me to congratulate and hug me.

I had never felt more special in my entire life. I didn't know if I was ready for the responsibility but I couldn't have been happier to have a child. A nurse called us inside Boyoung's private room where she had been shifted. We all went inside and congratulated her. I realized that I had never seen her happier than that.

"Mr. Seo," a doctor came in with my daughter wrapped in a pink towel. "Congratulations," she said and brought her to me.

When I saw her for the first time, I knew she looked exactly like her mother. But she had my mole. I didn't realize when my eyes welled up.

"Hold her," the doctor said.

But I freaked out. How could I hold such a delicate thing in my arms?

"Ah, I don't think I can," I said and heard my friends chuckle.

"Oppa you can, I trust you," Boyoung assured.

The doctor carefully handed her over to me and nervously took her. She had her eyes wide open and she was looking at me curiously. I suddenly got excited about all the things I'd teach her, everything I'd do for her, and everything we would do together.

I took her to Boyoung and placed the baby in her arms. She couldn't hold back her tears either. I could see the love we had for each other reflected in our daughter and there couldn't have been anything more precious than that.

Boyoung played with her little hands and she curled her tiny fingers around Boyoung's thumb.

"Auch," Boyoung chuckled and looked at me. "She has a strong grip,"

I couldn't help but laugh. She was my daughter in every sense.

"By the way, Mrs. Park, you would be happy to know about what your husband did in honor of his first child," said the doctor.

"What?" Boyoung asked.

"He will sponsor the delivery, care, and education of every child who is born today in this hospital," she informed.

It wasn't a big deal, I wanted to do more but Boyoung felt proud of me and smiled warmly.

"Ah, that's why I love him," she said.

~ Beauty ~

"Aera!" I called out for her but she was nowhere to be found.

We named her 'Aera' meaning 'Love' because she was a symbol of our love. But ever since she turned three, she was making my life miserable. She clearly loved her father more because he always coddled her.

I was sure she was hiding behind him somewhere because she didn't want to have her breakfast.

"Aera!" I entered the study and saw her hiding under a table.

"Stop yelling at her," her protective father showed up from the back.

"You are spoiling her!" I said.

"Just give me the bowl, and I'll feed her," he said snatching the bowl from me.

"Fine, do what you want but do it fast because we are late for the office," I said and went to get ready.

It was an important day in the office and I expected him to feed Aera quickly and get ready too. But when I went back to the study after half n hour, I saw a little girl in a pink dress and her father in a sweatshirt covered with food on them.

"Huh! What were you two doing?" I asked gritting my teeth.

"She calls it a Food fight," he replied grinning.

"Sorry eomma," Aera apologized.

"Oh God you two!" I got annoyed. "Baby, your Appa needs to come to the office with me," I said.

"But I want to play with him," she said.

"Huh, fine... I will leave first," I said taking a deep breath. "Oppa, you play with her and then come to the office quick, we have a meeting late," I said and kissed both of them before leaving.

I thought I'd be dealing with one kid but I had to deal with two. I reached the office, prepared everything for the meeting, and waited in my cabin. Thankfully just a few minutes before the meeting my secretary informed me that the Beast had arrived.

I quickly reached the headquarters and went to his floor.

"Good morning Ma'am," his secretary greeted me as I opened the door of the cabin and got inside.

"Mr. Seo I have prepared -" I was stunned at what I saw and I stopped right there. "What is this?" I shouted.

There was a princess table and chair kept next to where he was sitting and Aera was sitting on it and drawing.

"It's our daughter, Boyoung!" he sighed.

"What is she doing here?" I quickly went inside and looked around. He had turned his cabin into a toy house.

"Boyoung, I don't like sending her to playschool with strangers," he said.

"So what?"

"So," he smiled. "here you go," he said and handed over a paper to me.

If I said I was shocked to see it, it would be an understatement.

"You HIRED our three-year-old daughter in the AER group?" I said in confusion.

"Yes, Miss Seo Aera is my employee now and this is her cabin, I have hired a personal tutor for her too," he said proudly.

"Eomma, look I have an ID card," Aera flashed her pink princess ID card to me.

"It's beautiful baby," I said and gave her a kiss before I went back to her possessive father.

"Oppa!" I glared at him.

"What?"

"You can't do this,"

"I can,"

"No, you can't,"

"I will,"

"You'll sleep on the couch,"

"Fine, I'll tell Jae to drop her off at playschool," he said rolling his eyes.

"Good, now come to the meeting quick, it's starting,"

"Fine,"

"Bye baby," I gave Aera a kiss and started walking away.

"What about me?" he called out.

I shook my head and tried to open the door knob but it was locked.

"What!" I turned around.

"I installed remote control locks," he said holding a remote up.

"Argh! Fine," I said and went to him.

I gave him a kiss on the forehead but he pulled me back.

"I want it here," he said and kissed me on the lips.

"Manners!" I shouted and pushed him away.

"Bye honey," he smirked and unlocked the door for me.

~

If there's one thing that their story teaches us, it's self-acceptance. Love yourself for who you are and not what others want you to be. The beast who had been hiding from the world thinking that he was not good enough was loved unconditionally by the beauty. She was living for others but she found herself when she fell in love with the Beast.

There aren't enough words in the dictionary to describe the love they had for each other. Being the narrator of their story, I've tried my best but I can never talk enough about them.

I never introduced myself, but you already met me at the beginning of the story.

I'm the little girl who was hiding from the world because I was different. I wanted to be a writer and I would have given up if I hadn't met Mr. Seo that day. He encouraged me to follow my dreams. I couldn't think of a better way to thank him than by writing his story as my first novel.

That's why I went to meet him on his eighth wedding anniversary. The Beast's castle looked fresh, bright, and happening. As soon as I got in, I was greeted by the Beast himself.

"Hyejin-ah!" he smiled brightly at me and called me inside.

"Happy anniversary Ajjusshi!" I said handing him a bouquet.

"Thank you," he said as the beauty came down.

"Oh you're here already!" she said and came to pull me into a hug.

"Happy anniversary! How are you?" I asked her.

"Thank you, I'm good, come sit," she said and took me to the living room.

"I have a gift for you two," I said handing over a bag to Mrs. Park. "And a special gift for Ajjussi,"

"Really?" he said smiling at me.

I handed him a small box which he opened with excitement. It had a pen inside.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's the best pen in the world right now," I said chuckling.

"Oh that's amazing," he said. "But I can't take such an expensive gift from you Hyejin-ah,"

"Ajusshi, you gave me a pen ten years ago, I never used it, I always kept it with me as my motivation. Now I want you to keep this and remember how good you are and how much you mean to me," I said.

He nodded and smiled brightly. His wife patted his back proudly.

"You're equally important to us Hyejin-ah, I overheard you two talking that day and I think..." Mrs. Park said. "that's when it all started," she smiled.

"What?" Mr. Seo asked wittily.

"You know 'what'," she blushed.

"Okay, but I think I loved you ever since you met me in school," he replied.

"Oh! wait wait, you guys!" I said interrupting them. "I want to listen to the whole story in detail and I don't want spoilers," I chuckled.

"Really?" they laughed.

"Yes, actually, I'm writing my first novel and I want it to be your love story,"

"Oh, that's so sweet of you but... you could write anything, why our story?" the beast asked.

"No, I mean it. There's nothing better. I want to schedule appointments with you every weekend," I said.

"I'm ready, it's a long story," the beauty said in excitement.

"Okay then, I'll start this weekend and I want both of you to tell me everything from your point of view okay?"

"Oh, you need to make us sit separately then!" Mr. Seo said.

"Why?"

"I don't want her to know the thoughts I had about her earlier,"

"Yes same here," Mrs. Park pursed her lips.

We all laughed and discussed a few more things over some snacks. I couldn't be happier to begin my journey to their story.

"Bye, I'll be back this weekend," I said while seeing them off.

"Yes sure, we are also leaving now," Mrs. Park said.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Oh, we are taking Aera to meet my mother, it's been a long time..." Mr. Seo said.

"Nice, I'll see you all later.."

That day was the start of my new journey to tell the world a legendary love story. As I write the end of this, I can assure you that they are living happily and probably still bickering. The last time I met them, they were having a serious discussion.

"It's so nice to see Aera become independent," the beauty said after little Aera presented a dance in front of us.

"Does it mean you're agreeing to have another kid now?" the beast said.

"Woah why do you always bring that up?" she asked chuckling.

"C'mon don't you want it too?"

"Remember what you promised when you saw me in labor pain last time?" she asked.

"Well, you said the pain was worth it!" he replied.

Those two are never going to grow up and that's what makes them special. Their love would be unforgettable.

~ Beauty ~

"Who'd have ever thought that this could be? True that he's no Prince Charming But there's something in him that I simply didn't see."

~ Beast ~

"I never felt this way about anyone. I wanna do something for her."

~

This is a tale of beauty much deeper than that. It is the story of two people drawn together under the most interesting of circumstances, two people who learn to truly see what matters only after they meet each other and their tale-one both as old as time and as fresh as a rose-begins."

- Elizabeth Rudnick

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A/N

Annyeong readers!

I know the Epilogue is short but that's how I always wanted it to be. Just a happy emotional ending to the epic love story! Sorry if you're mad at me :(

I don't have words to express how emotional I am to end this beautiful story. It was such a magical ride for me that I felt like I was living in a fantasy world. I know how close stories are to the writer as well as the readers. Thank you so much to each and every one who read it.

Can't thank @sumi96 enough for giving me the concept for this. It was such an impulsive decision to write this and I do not regret it at all! Thank you, girl!

Thanks to all my in-line commenters who made my stories more fun to read! Thanks to all those who commented their reviews here or on Instagram. I love you all <3

We were together for 4 months in the world of Beauty and the Beast!

Sorry for any mistakes :( I was so sad while writing this.

Love, and Signing this story off.

Rimi <3

PS: You know I can never stop writing isn't it? I'll wait for you all on our next ride of Tak Dong Kyun and Kim Moo Young in a cross-over fanfic - Fallen Stars. See you soon!