Someone to Love

Six

Lucas
I think I remember why I didn't like to go home to Korea.
It's the real long flight hours. Seventeen to be exact, and Ara and I are freaking 20 minutes in.
"We're really going to Korea." She said
"Yeah, roommate for three and a half months, and now I'm taking you to Korea."
"Don't forget fake girlfriend." She said
"Uh, in the US maybe. As far as Korea is concerned, I am dating a freelance marketing American woman whom I never have seen work before." I said
She laughed.
"Hey, I work. When you're not around. How do you think I paid for this plane ticket? " She said
"Good point. So, are you used to flying?" I said
"Travelling with planes? Yeah, pretty much. But I don't usually fly commercially." She said
"Oh. Well, you should have informed me-"
She shook my head.
"First time for everything." She said
"Oh my, this is your first tine flying commercially?"
"Well, I fly business class or even first class when I don't use Dad's jet." She said
I frowned.
"Dad's jet?" I said
"Yeah." She said
"How uh, how the hell would a girl who uses her dad's jet end up living with me?" I said
She raised her eyebrow.
"That is a good question. "
"Would you care on answering it?" I said
"Why?" She said, as if she didn't want to talk about it. But we didn't have anything to talk about for the next seventeen hours.
"Because I have been living with you for a few months, and the moment we land on Seoul, you're my girlfriend and I have nothing on you. I don't know anything about you."
"And I don't know anything about you!"
"Then we'll use this time to get to know each other."
She nodded.
"I ask a question about you, you answer. And then you do it."
"Okay, let's play some flight games. Who's starting?"
I have to say, when Ara literally came in to my life I became more comfortable around people and expressed myself more in English. I used to stay inside my Korean head, mumbling thoughts in Korean.
"Look who's talkative." She said
"Well, it is a 17 hour flight, I get bored too."
She rolled her eyes.
"Go, start."
"Okay-"
And then there was a stewardess who approached our seat.
"Ara?" She said, which made Ara look at her, and I have to say, she recognized her.
"Oh my god, Bea!" Ara said, standing up to hug her.
"What are you doing here?" Bea said
"Oh, yeah. Random Holiday trip. I didn't know you'd be here!" Ara said.
I just looked at the two of them.
"Travelling alone?" Bea said
"Oh right! No, I'm with my boyfriend." She said
She didn't forget about me.
"Uh, Bea this is my boyfriend, Lucas. Lucas, this is my friend, Bea." Ara said, I stood up to shake Bea's hand.
"Hello." Bea said
"Hi, nice to meet you." She said
I sat back down.
"What is Ara Hayden doing in eco?" Bea said
"Yeah, this trip was spontaneous. Didn't really think it through." Ara said
Bea frowned and then shook her head.
"Come on, I'll bump you two in first." She said
"Bea, it's okay-"
"We can talk more in there. Come on."
"Bea-"
Long story short, Ara and I are now in a first class flight to Korea. This is amazing. I think this is the perks of having a freelance marking fake-girlfriend. She has a lot of connections.
"Bea, you don't have to do this." Ara said
"Consider this as my Christmas gift to you two. Plus, Daddy owns the airline. It's nothing." Bea said as she walked away.
"Her dad owns the airline?" I whispered to Ara.
"Hush, Dad owns the airport." She said
"What?" I said
She laughed.
"Relax! I'm kidding."she said
I frowned.
"He owns half of it." She continued.
"Ara, would you mind telling me who are you?"
"Ara Hayden."
"That's it? You're not a princess?"
She shook her head.
"No, I'm not. Are you?"
"No. I'm just a neurosurgeon. Are you really a freelance marketer?"
"I have a business degree and a master's degree in Marketing. But I'm not a freelance marketer."
"Then what?"
Ara pressed the light and a stewardess approached us, it wasn't Bea though.
"Bottle of champagne please." Ara said
"Coming right away, Miss Hayden." She said
"Thank you."
Champagne was served and Ara immediately drank, I think I really have to deal with her drinking thing.
"Okay, are you in good terms with your dad?" She asked
"No. Not even close." I replied as I drank my champagne.
"Good, then we both have Daddy issues."
"What's your issue?"
"I had a brother, but then he died, remember that story?" I nodded.
"He died and then you lost a friend."
She nodded.
"Okay, that left me to be the successor to Dad's company. But then, I screwed up once, I ended up losing everything. As you can see, based on Bea, I came from a pretty loaded family."
"But then a few months ago you gave me two grand in cash."
"I have been living off the money I earned and saved up in case of emergency. And now I end up spending it on a trip to Korea."
"So you're broke?" I said
"Good thing my Louis Vuitton trunks didn't give it away." She said
I blinked.
"I told you I could have paid for the tickets."
She waved her hands on the air.
"No, just make sure that I have food to eat. And I may have to cut off the alcohol. Because it is pretty pricey." She said
"Got it. I would be a bad boyfriend if I didn't have anything to offer you to eat."
"What's your daddy issue?"
I sighed.
"I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, and he wanted me to be the next CEO. Obviously, he couldn't have that, that's why Jae Kyung is the successor. And I am in New York, living my life."
"At least you studied in the US."
He nodded.
"Let me get this straight, you messed up once and your dad cut you off?" I said
"Yeah. Hush."
"That's messed up."
"I know."
I raised my glass.
"To messed up dads." I said
We clinked glasses.
"So, what's your family like? I mean, you'd get to introduce me in Korean, might as well get a grasp of what I'd be expecting. In English at least." She said
"Well, I have to tell you, we'd be getting awkward and judgy stares from them. Some of them are proud that I have a degree from America, but some of them view it as my rebellion and I therefore should be excommunicated."
She laughed.
"I'm serious." I said
"Okay, then what are they like?"
"Besides awkward and judgy? They'd be judging you in a language you can't understand."
"Would it help if they spoke Mandarin?"
"You speak Mandarin."
"A little."
Seriously, I think this woman has everything.
"Okay, so basically, I should brace myself for prejudices?" She said
I nodded.
"Okay. I don't care really. You're really not that good looking."
"Excuse me?" I said
"They'd probably like me more because I can be an improvement to your gene pool." She said
"What?" I said
"I'm kidding, Dr. Seo." She said
"You better be." I said
"Although, I would be an improvement, really. I don't think the world has many green-eyed Koreans."
Her eyes are green. I like it.
"What is Ara short for?" I asked
"Huh?"
"Your name can not be just three letters."
"What? Suddenly there is a required number of letters in Korea?"
"No, I just wanted to know. If you don't want to share it-"
"It's short for something. But I'm not sharing it to you."
"Ah. Nice to know."
"Because it's weird. And all cool people have short ones."
I think we fell asleep a short while after they killed the lights. And I am loving every second that I am in this first class flight.
"Are you hungry?" I asked her as soon as we left the airport. Well, not left. We were standing outside of it, waiting for a cab.
"Well, yeah."
"Great. I have this place that I want to revisit and I'm taking you with me. My treat."
"Okay then. But what about your family?"
"They're not expecting us until tomorrow." I said
"But where are we gonna sleep?" She said
"I got that covered." I said
"Would you mind taking a photo with me?" She said
"Sure." I said
We took a selfie that shows that we are in Seoul airport.
"I just won't tag you. But I'm posting this."
"You're not friends with my brother?"
She shook her head.
Touchdown, Seoul 🇰🇷
"You're introducing me to your Facebook friends as your boyfriend?"
"Well, that's gonna be their speculation. Touchdown, Seoul just means I am in Seoul with a Korean guy."
She frowned.
"I'll post this later."
We walked around for a while, it was cold. And I think we won't be able to walk around tomorrow because it's gonna be too cold and dangerous.
"I can't believe I'm back here." I said
"Why? You would have stayed in New York for the rest of your life?"
"Yeah."
"That's sad. It's a good thing that I barged into your life. Then you won't die alone and I'll be attending your American funeral."
"I'm loving my fake girlfriend even more."
"Eww."
"Hey, we are in Seoul already. As far as anyone is concerned, we are dating."
We ended up having some samgyupsal.
"My winter jacket is gonna end up smelling like meat." Ara said
"You'd be having authentic ones in Korea."
To be honest, I am loving the feeling that I am back here at home, surrounded by people who are talking in a language that I am inclined to understanding.
Actually, I decided to go back to this particular place because this is my first love's family restaurant. Not just that, but they make good food also, it's a bonus.
I'm glad to see that they made enough to hire people to run the place, and a good thing that none of them are here to see me.
"Do you want a drink?" Ara said
"Alcoholic or non-alcoholic?" I said
"You know me-"
I ordered a bottle of Soju. And Ara and I immediately started shots.
"You know when we get back to New York, you should probably address your drinking issues."
"I don't have an issue. It's just that-"
"Drinking alcohol can increase water retention. It'll be sad to see that figure of yours go."
She gasped.
"Hey, you called me not good looking a while ago on the plane. This is being fair."
"I am so gonna break up with you."
"Please do it back in New York-"
"Or I do it now and end up shopping here in Korea."
"I thought you were broke."
"I don't have cash, but I do have credit cards."
I have to admit, drinking soju in Korea makes me feel like I am home. I love it.
"What's your dad like?" She asked
"Hateful." I said as I drank.
"Come on, I'm gonna meet him tomorrow." She said
"Okay, fine. He used to be nice, but then I decided to be a doctor, and now he loves Jae Kyung even more." I said
"Oh. My dad hated me and my brother the day we were born." She said
"That's sad."
"Yeah. He and Mother had me and my brother just to have their lineages. And was supposed to give it all to my brother, but then he died."
"And now you have it-"
"But I lost it."
After finishing one bottle of soju, we decided to take one away for the hotel, and settle down. It's because I fear that Ara and I would be so drunk, either we get married ahead of my brother and then passed out on the snow-blanketed streets or get drunk enough and die while passed out on the streets. Either way, we die on the streets of hypothermia.
"One bed?" Ara said as soon as we entered the hotel room.
"Uh-"
"I don't care. Unless you do."
"No-"
"Just don't go stabbing me in the back with that Korean knife of yours."
I frowned.
"Huh?"
She just put her arm on my shoulder.
"Come on, Korean husband. Drink up." She said
"Ara-"
I rolled my eyes, she groaned.
"Fuck it. Lets drink."
And that we did.