Cunning and Evil

MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE

"Ransom?" Seri asked, playing along as the call was still ringing in her ear.

"Nah," The assemblywoman laughed at that, and god it was the sweetest thing he has ever heard. Jeong Hyeok couldn't help himself, "I'm not letting you go."

—-

Jeong Hyeok diligently adjusted the hat that he put on Seri's head. "Tsk. You're still standing out." Jeong Hyeok uttered.

Seri stared at the frown lines on his forehead, an indication of two things:

One, his frustration with not being able to successfully hide her; and two, an indication of how he aged over the years. She almost forgot that they have spent too long apart, building their own and separate worlds - burning its bridges to each other's. Now Seri realized how he was still that attractive man that held her heart in his hands.

Only older, and admittedly, more handsome.

"You're the one standing out." She countered with concealed amusement, popping her own thought bubble. She leered at him from head to toe with feined judgment. "You're the one wearing a black hoodie and cap in the sea of rainbow colors, mister."

He smirked and let her comment go, there was no way he was gonna wear that bright green hoodie that belonged to Seri's bodyguard anyway.

"Tsk tsk." Jeong Hyeok took a good look at Seri and wrapped her in the scarf they bought from a boutique they passed by. "You're still recognizable."

"I topped the election polls here, Ri Jeong Hyeok. They put me in Congress. Of course I'm recognizable here." She commented. Jeong Hyeok pulled out another bag from his backpack, revealing two sunglasses that she could only guess were convenience store-bought.

It was a hot humid day, and they were both covered up to avoid attention, but there's no place they would rather be but here, where they look forward to experiencing even a tiny bit of
normalcy.

For once, they both felt the need to get away— get away from the world where he's the assemblyman of Seoul and she's the assemblywoman of Daegu, where he's the Majority Floor Leader and she's the speaker, where they are both responsible for the welfare of their constituents.

They needed to be just Ri Jeong Hyeok and Yoon Seri.

"So where are you taking me?" He asked.

Seri thought to herself, perhaps the people of Daegu are far too busy to care about their assemblywoman's love life, are they not? Perhaps she can let loose a little.

"Let's eat?"

With that, she held Ri Jeong Hyeok's arm and dragged him towards the nearest food cart of Hodu Gwaja.

Both of them stood in front of the cart, surrounded by people who were none the wiser.

Hundreds of walnut treats were in front of them, with blue, red, pink, and violet coloring specifically for the festival. Seri ordered five per color, amused by its vibrance, and it was as if it was her first time in a long time to eat street foods, she ordered more: Teokbokki, Fishcake, Soondae, Gimbap...

There's no way they could finish half of it.

It was a miracle that the pair was able to secure a table in the middle of the park amidst the hundreds of people looking for one.

"So, you rejected me when I invited you to dinner at Myomi.." Jeong Hyeok laid all the food they ordered on the shaky foldable table in front of them, "But now you couldn't wait to munch right here, in the middle of a very packed park? You know Myomi has 2 Michelin Stars, right?"