Landing in Your Inbox

54 - the lone tree

Jeong-hyeok gave a small nod to put her mind at rest.

"Jeong-hyeok tells me you are a businesswoman." His mother recalled.

Seri braced herself, this must be the resume part of the interview.

"It must have been hectic this season?" 

"Oh...yes. We have a few promotions going on and launching a new store early next year." Seri answered, not quite understanding where the conversation would go. "I wouldn't want to bore you with the details. I try not to do it to Jeong-hyeok."

Jeong-hyeok turned to her, speaking softly, "I wish you would."

Seri gave a little shake of her head to him.

"Jeong-hyeok will be busy as well when he returns to flying." Yun-hui said, "You must have seen how irregular his schedule is."

"Oh it's honestly the first thing I knew of him." Seri said, laughing, "When we first chatted on the Internet, I kept asking to meet him but he's always somewhere."

"There are other reasons why I delayed." Jeong-hyeok mumbled.

"We met online so we're used to talking to each other from afar." Seri answered with confidence, "I'm honestly thankful for this time we've spent over the holidays and I won't take it for granted."

Jeong-hyeok was looking at her, Seri didn't know for how long but it was making her cheeks heat up. 

"You met online?" Yun-hui asked quizzically, "But you also met in..." 

"Here." Jeong-hyeok interrupted, "We met here too." 

Both mother and son exchanged glances that Seri only finished drinking her tea and bent over to put it down on the table. Jeong-hyeok caught the movement and took the cup and saucer to do it for her.

Wanting to displace any form of awkwardness, Seri looked to the spread of cake slices, "These look delicious. Which store are they from?"

"They are gifts actually. We don't know how to eat them all." Jeong-hyeok's mother explained as Seri tried to choose which flavor she wanted to try first. In a confiding tone, Seri heard his mother say. "Seo Dan sent them."

Seri became still.

"Seo Dan was here?" Jeong-hyeok asked.

"She just dropped them off and said hello." 

There were two ways Seri could go about this dilemma. First was to politely decline the cakes and say an excuse about not wanting to partake in someone else's gift or being full or having an early dinner, masking the real reason to be a refusal to accept the graces of a friend she was having at odds with. Second was to just go ahead and pick up a slice anyway because she would not refuse a host's invitation, and she so happened to be no other than Jeong-hyeok's mother. 

She chose the latter, picking out an innocent red velvet slice. "They look very delectable. Which do you want here, Mother? Jeong-hyeok?"

***

But Jeong-hyeok saw through her hesitation. Though there were several opportunities to talk about Seo Dan, Seri had been evading the topic since Christmas Eve. He suspected it had something to do with her arriving late in his apartment that one night. Seri was at the door then, thanking his mother for inviting her. 

"It's a shame my husband is not here to meet you."

"Oh...I don't know about meeting him just yet." Seri laughed nervously, "Before this afternoon, I was also not prepared to meet you, but you've been very kind. Maybe someday." 

Jeong-hyeok took this as an opening to interrupt, "Mom, I'll just talk to Seri." 

"Ok, take care on the road." His mother said, retreating inside the house.

Seri held a palm up at Jeong-hyeok. "I know what you're about to say."

Jeong-hyeok wrapped his hand around hers and gently brought it down. "Let me say it, anyway."

Seri softened as their hands linked together in a loose grip,  "I'm fine...It's great having this impromptu chat, I mean it. Your mom is lovely."

Jeong-hyeok wasn't thinking about that. "When you go home, can you think about something?"

"What about?"

"Can you tell me what happened between you and Seo Dan?"

Seri sighed, "Jeong-hyeok it's a mess."

He squeezed her hand, "I want to know."

"I might not tell you yet. I'm still confused about a lot of things. But I'll think about it." This she offered with a small smile of truce, "I hope your therapy goes well."

Jeong-hyeok nodded, "I'll see you out to your car."

"No, no. You'll climb up again. Stay right here." Seri held him back with a hand flat against his chest, "I'll talk to you later." 

A butler assisted her to the gate. Jeong-hyeok watched her get inside her red four by four and drove off.

When she was out of sight, Jeong-hyeok turned to see his mother standing in front, like she had been there all along.

"How long have you been standing there?" Jeong-hyeok asked. 

"Long enough to see how she means to you." His mother said, her expression awashed with relief but with a tinge of trepidation, "When are you planning to tell your father about her?"