Landing in Your Inbox

64 - push and pull

Jeong-hyeok would always take a few moments in the car to compose himself before driving off.

Over at Donghodaeyo Bridge, he made a call by speaker phone.

"Seri."

"Jeong-hyeok, where are you?" 

"I'm at the bridge. I'll be there in 15 minutes."

"All right. See you."

Just like that he felt a weight lifting off his heart.

January 24, 2021 7:14 PM
Seri's Apartment 

Jeong-hyeok saw Seri in the dining area spreading out plates of side dishes. He didn't make his presence known and just watched the woman go from the kitchen counter to the dining table and vice versa. She had a light blue cashmere sweater paired with a dark blue satin pleated skirt, like she carried the hue of the sky and the waves of the ocean together. 

She was carrying a hot pot cooker when she caught him, "Oh how long have you been standing there?"

"Not so long." Jeong-hyeok was still carrying his coat, neglecting to hang it. "Can I help?"

"Just take a seat. How did your visit go?" When she turned her head to him, her hair swooshed in motion like an advertisement.

"It was okay..." Jeong-hyeok pulled up a chair, "I just told them my schedule."

"What did your parents say?" Seri started bringing the ingredients in: spinach, tofu, pork...

"They expected I would be away during the holiday." 

"Are they that used to your lifestyle?"

"Sure."

"Even your mom?"

Jeong-hyeok took pause, something Seri was always sharp to notice.

"What did they say about the oranges?"

"Mom liked it, but dad couldn't eat it." 

"I figured."

"Hm?"

"Forget it." Seri brought a pitcher of water and took her seat across from him. She had a brighter shade of red on her lips, something he was used to seeing her wear at work but not at home where she would dress down. Her ears and neckline glittered with crystals.

Jeong-hyeok looked down at his gray knitted sweater.

"What's wrong?"

"I seem underdressed..."

Seri broke into a scarlet smile, "Don't worry about it. I just felt like doing something a little different. You'll be gone for a while so I wanted to make this a bit special. " Her fingers were criss-crossed on the table.  "So you can remember your pretty girlfriend waiting for you at home."

Jeong-hyeok smirked.

Her smile faded as her face hardened. "You don't agree?"

Jeong-hyeok turned on the hotpot cooker, pouring in the water.

"I'll bring the dog to the bed." She dared.

Jeong-hyeok shot her a glare. "Don't do that."

The stuffed brown dog had been something like a running joke that Seri used to make fun of  \him, since he took his failure to capture the stuffed toy in the UFO machine to heart. His face soured whenever he saw it. The toy was presently on her couch and Jeong-hyeok wanted it to stay that way. 

It was Seri's turn to chuckle. Why did she like seeing him annoyed so much?

But he liked it when her eyes squinted in her mirth, so it was a stalemate.

Seri joined him in his room, sitting on his bed while going through the things he brought from his parents' place. Jeong-hyeok sat cross-legged to her side, fiddling with his tablet hooked to the wall charger.

"These socks go well with the shoes." She indicated the brand new pair of shoes she bought him that he was wearing for the return flight. She told him to throw away those he wore during the accident. He would quietly donate them.

"I'll use those socks, then."

Seri flipped through the memoir he brought from home about a pianist who defected. "This sounds so depressing."

"He didn't die, if that's what you are thinking." His finger swiped from left to right on his tablet.

Having no more items to go through, Seri zipped the bag close and sighed. Jeong-hyeok was so concentrated on his tablet that he didn't notice Seri nearby until she perched on his shoulder with her chin.

"What are you looking at?" She asked.

Jeong-hyeok took a single glance to see her face so close to his. "Weather forecast tomorrow." The smell of her shampoo was just there for him to take in if he so much breathed.

"You guys really are walking weather apps." Seri watched the map, leaning forward. "So what does this tell you, weather reporter?"

"This is a forecast that is updated every 6 hours. It  tells us about elements like visibility, clouds, possible icing and wind movements. This graph here shows the probability of precipitation, which is high so I'm expecting rain when we land." He pointed at a chart, lifting the tablet to her eyes.

Her slender finger glided across his tablet. "You packed a rain jacket already?"

"It's packed." He said in between watching her move the map around to peeking at her side profile, tracing the shell of her ear studded by a tricolored swan crystal earring.

"How about in Seoul?" Seri tried to navigate away from the UK but couldn't figure out where the back button was. She turned to Jeong-hyeok for help. 

Their eyes met.

"It's just here." Jeong-hyeok took Seri's index finger like a stylus and showed her where to go until the whole map of Europe was loaded and he gently slid her finger to the right to scan for Asia. "Tap here. Then here." He pushed her finger to lightly press on the screen twice. "There. It says rain is also coming to Seoul."

"I won't need to come out anyway. I have indoor parking and I'm not going anywhere but home." Seri turned the question over, "And you? What are you doing in your two days in London? Don't tell me you'll just stay in the hotel..."

Jeong-hyeok's answer was indecisive, his hand was more sure what to do as it covered hers, spreading her fingers like a fan so they could weave together and his thumb could rub the side of her hand. "I will see."

"Still, even if it's 3am or 4am here, I want you to message me. Okay?" She squeezed the tips of his fingers.

Jeong-hyeok nodded. "Then go back to sleep."

"I'll decide that..." She leaned to kiss his cheek. "If I become overly attached for a month you'll have to endure it a bit."

Jeong-hyeok set aside his tablet, slipping his hands to caress both sides of Seri's neck before he closed the gap of their lips with a proper kiss. They wouldn't have enough time the next morning to tell each other in no uncertain terms that absences will be felt, even if just for a few days. A side of the bed will become colder, lively chatter would be removed from a room, meals will be enjoyed in their lonesome or in the company of other people, walks would be conducted without a hand holding another, communication by speech or breathing each other's air would have to come to a pause. So with their mouths firmly pressed, their faces tilting, they sought to memorize each other in pushes and pulls.

That night, they didn't stick to their goal posts on each bedside. They met in the middle like two opposing members at the mid court line. Seri slept clutching his left arm like a pillow.

***

The next day, Seri made herself late for work for 30 minutes just so she could see Jeong-hyeok in a uniform and impart him a long kiss goodbye. "It will be Thursday before you know it." He told her as they waved to each other.