Swiss Stakes

Sunday Not So Funday

Anonymity was both a blessing and a curse. Where Se-ri once gravitated towards the latter, she now enjoyed the fruits of being perfectly ordinary. She waited in the lobby of the scholars' hotel, her sunglasses looking more like a costume accessory than a fashion statement given her bargain ensemble. She flipped through a magazine but not really reading. No one was stopping to take notice of her and people readily sat down next to her like she was an insignificant thing. If she were dressed in her usual, people would think twice before sitting down next to her in fears of being bitten.

Now without her Hermes, her Burberry and her Bottega, she was harmless. Declawed. That feeling Se-ri didn't like.

It took almost an hour before Jeong-hyeok reappeared with the scholars. Sol-mi came alone without her guardian and Dong-il had warmed up to her by saying hello first.

Without the garish makeup, Sol-mi had a face that could adorn a catalogue. Se-ri thought she had strong observant eyes, centered nose, symmetrical face, thick hair...though said strong observant eyes were boring a hole into her now.

Se-ri stood up and peeled off her sunglasses, "Annyeong, did you both sleep well?"

"Yes!"

"No."

"Ah," Se-ri might as well dip her hand in a fish bowl with piranhas but she was not one to shirk away from the jaws of Sol-mi, "Is there a particular reason why, Sol-mi? You know I have trouble sleeping myself. Maybe I can try to-"

"No particular reason."

Se-ri straightened up, her nose crinkling.

For lunch, they drove to a family Swiss restaurant housed in a rustic wooden building that was recommended for children with its selection of cheese, ham, sausages and fondue. Dong-il could not choose just one so Se-ri let him order everything he wanted to try.

Especially if it meant Jeong-hyeok speaking German at length that had Se-ri smiling stupidly throughout.

The menu too was completely in German so Jeong-hyeok was dutifully making the interpretations and going in-between with the serving staff.

"Their sausage is good here or do you want eggs? Pancakes?" Jeong-hyeok was asking Sol-mi who was seated at his left while Dong-il was at Se-ri's right. Sol-mi decided on pancakes.

"Let's have a cheese fondue." Se-ri asked Jeong-hyeok on top of the feast they were already ordering.

Jeong-hyeok communicated all their orders, Se-ri was fascinated with how soft-spoken and melodic-sounding he was with the language.

"When are you holding German lessons, Ri Jeong-hyeok ssi?" Se-ri said with a tap on his wrist, which then caught a fleeting glare from Sol-mi.

"My German is not that good anymore," Jeong-hyeok said, knuckles criss-crossed on the table, "I need to practice it again."

"But hyungnim has so many talents," Dong-il said with admiration, though he was not actually his student. "Se-ri dong ji, did you know he was once an army captain?"

"Hyung," Sol-mi reprimanded from the other side of the table, "You shouldn't speak of things like that with people we don't know."

Which made Se-ri all the glad to beg to differ, "Oh I know about it, no need to make a fuss." Her hand made a flapping gesture in the air. "I heard he was a very good officer and he's well respected by his company." She could go on and on with how attractive he appeared in his uniform and how he was selfless and valiant but that would be giving too much away. So she simply summed it up as, "Nothing gets past his way."