The Moon on a Frozen Lake

16: Moonlight

Stuck in this endless midnight,

How I longed to see daylight,

So I raged, mourned, lost sight

Of that beautiful moonlight.

— J, 2019

"Ah, that feels so good!"

Leaning back against his seat, Jihoon gingerly wiggled his fingers and scratched the back of his hand. It felt wonderful having his cast removed. All month long, he had to travel around the country with only one capable hand, meeting with local staff to check on sales targets and strategies. Everything, from getting dressed to typing emails, required double the time. It was unbearable. He, however, only had himself to blame.

"Mister, here's your coffee," the server said, placing the cup in front of him with a smile. "If there's anything else you need, just let me know. My name is Jessie," she said pointing to the tag pinned against the crisp white shirt she wore.

Jihoon smiled in return. "Thank you, Jessie."

"You're welcome." Jessie gave him a shy smile, then rushed back to the counter. There, she and the barista exchanged excited whispers while aiming occasional glances his way.

Bemused, Jihoon shook his head. Although he considered himself reasonably attractive, the amount of attention he's been getting since he moved to China surprised him. Too bad the only woman whose opinion he cared about at the moment had forgotten him. He hadn't heard from Yingyue the entire time he was away, though he sent her a message to say he'd be gone.

Using his newly healed hand, Jihoon lifted the cup to his lips. The bittersweet coffee coated his tongue and warmed the back of his throat. Now that he had some free time, he wondered if he should try getting in touch with Yingyue again. He could tell her he had his cast removed and thought he'd drop by since he was in the vicinity.

That could work.

Taking another sip of coffee, he took out his phone and opened Wechat. There, he clicked on Yingyue's profile and checked her feed to see what she was up to. All recent posts were about yoga or investment news. He had to scroll way down to find anything personal. Even then, it was just a photo of her from behind balancing on one leg. He zoomed in then hastily pressed back. This was neither the place nor the time to be distracted.

Going back to the chatbox, he started typing.

Kang Jihoon [typing]: Hi! I'm back! I wonder if I can drop by?

Shaking his head, Jihoon pressed delete. That sounded weak, uncertain. He needed something more definitive.

Kang Jihoon [typing]: I'm back. Let's talk?

He considered the message for a second. It was too aggressive like she owed him something. He tapped the delete button again.

By the time he finished his coffee, Jihoon still had no decent idea in mind. Although his sister believed otherwise, Jihoon actually knew little about wooing women. Even with Leila, there hadn't been much in terms of courtship. Like a spark to dry kindling, the two of them had caught fire the moment they met. As for his numerous hook-ups, well, the rules involved weren't the same. When two people hooked up, there was a tacit agreement that the time spent was limited, so each party came together with clear expectations. Serious relationships, on the other hand, were more complicated. He had no idea what Yingyue thought of him or if she still did.

Putting his phone down, Jihoon looked outside where the afternoon sun shone unhindered for once. Last night's rain had cleared out the smog, so a few passersby had their phones out to capture that rare blue sky. What if he asked Daniel for advice? The two of them went a long way back, having met while doing their MBAs at Harvard Business School. Both being third culture kids coerced by their parents to follow a certain path, they instantly hit it off. Back then, Daniel often instigated wild parties and adventures, dragging Jihoon along with him. Now, he was a staid family man who was disgustingly in love with his wife. Surely, he'd know a thing or two about relationships.