Landing in Your Inbox

53 - frisson

"You laugh like you weren't trapped in the elevator that one time." Jeong-hyeok commented, sat on the sofa with a pillow on his lap.

"That one is different." Seri insisted.

"You sounded terrified back then, though." Jeong-hyeok recalled.

Seri narrowed her eyes, her torso facing Jeong-hyeok across the sofa. "Can we make a rule not to discuss embarrassing things we said in the chat?"

"Why?" Jeong-hyeok asked. "Do you regret the chats?"  

"No...It's just we seemed different to each other back then. We were hiding under usernames." Seri reasoned.

"It's true...But I don't regret them." 

"Easy for you to say. You had an unfair advantage."

Jeong-hyeok turned to face Seri, "I liked our chats."

Seri's lower lip jutted out in thought, her eyes in a squint, "...Do you want me to call you Hawky in person?"

Jeong-hyeok shot her a look. "That's just strange."

Seri grinned and said in a higher octave befitting a child, "Hawky."

"Stop." Jeong-hyeok admonished with his glare deepening.

"Okay," Seri decided, "I guess we can still discuss embarrassing things we said in the chat." 

"Look, Serione..."

"It just hit me how Hawky and Hyeok actually sound alike." Seri pondered aloud. "Isn't that funny? By the way, why did you choose 'mountain hawk', anyway?"

Jeong-hyeok breathed out through his nose and reached for his glass of water on the low table, "It's my brother." 

All traces of mirth left Seri's face then, "Oh..."

"His nickname in the Air Force." Jeong-hyeok explained, "The mountain hawk-eagle is known for being fast and agile with quick maneuvers. That's what my brother was known for."

The movie was still playing on TV but no one was watching anymore.

Seri bent her head to look at him, "You must miss him a lot, don't you?" 

"The song I played in the lake...and today. I composed it for him." Jeong-hyeok revealed, eyes downcast on the floor, "It was going to be a birthday gift. I was looking forward to playing for him, but it never happened."

Seri inched closer to him, close enough that she could reach out and touch his back if she wanted as much, "I didn't know that...And here I was forcing you to play it. No wonder you didn't take to it too well."

Jeong-hyeok shook his head, "I thought that song will always remind me of my grief, of the things I've never done... But in the past months, I tried to remember it when I found out that it helped someone like you...It gave me some hope."

Seri smiled a little. "It did, more than you know...I wasn't kidding when I said it gave me solace when no words and no person could. I know it was not intended for me, but I'm thanking you and your brother for composing it. I'd like to think he is proud of you, too."

Around her, it was effortless for his cheeks to turn up with his smile. Different from the deliberate polite smiles he had mastered being a member of an aircrew where due courtesy and friendliness were required.

"I found the reason." Jeong-hyeok said with a surge of pride.

Seri must have recognized the reference because she gave in to a chuckle.

"But as for that kiss..."

His face became still.

"What was the reason behind that, Mr Lee Jeong-hyeok?" Seri asked again with her sweet tone. "Was it because I was crying?"