Chapter 4
Apologies and Mysteries
And that brand new day turned out to be a very interesting one.
Youngwoo called me and Minjoo the morning after the club incident, asking us if we could have a late lunch with him at a restaurant somewhere in the Gangnam district. After careful consideration, after finally convincing ourselves that Youngwoo's voice didn't sound apoplectic on the phone, meaning he didn't sound like he was about to give us the axe, we decided to accept his offer and meet him for lunch. I felt like I had to apologize for my actions in person, too, anyways.
We spotted Youngwoo, looking like a million bucks, sitting at a table by a window that had a great view of the Gangnam life that bustled outside the restaurant. He was by himself, sipping his drink as he watched people from all walks of life enjoy strolling the busy streets of Seoul.
We were at an Asian fusion restaurant that looked very expensive due to its overall gold theme, crystal chandeliers, and Italian marble floors. It reminded me so much of Donald Trump's New York Penthouse I saw on TV. The patrons were in cocktail dresses and suits, making me (with my plaid tunic and leggings) and Minjoo (with her floral peasant shirt and white skirt that she borrowed from me) look way out of place. But it didn't matter how we looked now. Certainly, Youngwoo would not determine firing me based on my looks today; it would be based on how much money was going to be spent on Heejin's facial reconstructive surgery. And Minjoo, of course, was guilty by association.
Minjoo and I hurriedly walked over to the table, endlessly bowing apologies to Youngwoo, explaining why we were late.
"You're not late," Youngwoo said in a surprisingly calm voice. "I just arrived early."
We twitched our mouths to a nervous chuckle, not knowing whether to relax or to prepare ourselves for disaster because his act of collectedness could be just the calm before the storm. For all we know, we could be hit by a Category 5 hurricane by the time we take our seats.
But Lee Youngwoo's composure remained. "You probably know why I wanted to meet you two today," Youngwoo said as Minjoo and I took a seat across from him. I placed my messenger bag on the side by the window, fidgeting with the strap for a few moments before I finally settled in my seat.
A waiter, clad in all black, came and took our orders. "The usual for you, Mr. Lee?" he asked Youngwoo after taking Minjoo's and my orders. Youngwoo nodded with certainty, and then the waiter left.
Youngwoo added more tea to his cup ever so slowly and methodically, like real social elite would do, that I thought I was watching a very formal tea ceremony. Like the other customers, he was also wearing a suit – a dark gray one with a black shirt underneath. "I asked to see you because I want to apologize in person for my friend's rudeness last night," he said then turned to me and added, "and for raising my voice at you, Sunmi-ssi."
I shrunk in my seat because of utter embarrassment and confusion. Lee Youngwoo is apologizing? I asked myself with incredulity. I was compelled to express my apologies as well, deciding it was the right time to say it. "I'm... I'm sorry for punching your girlfriend..."
Youngwoo cleared his throat and replaced his white, gold-trimmed tea cup on its matching coaster. "First of all, she isn't my girlfriend..."
Really, I asked myself in silence. I found it hard to believe. They were all over each other last night.
"Second of all, I don't think she had the right to make fun of people, either," Youngwoo said, particularly staring right at me when saying this. Youngwoo took another sip of his tea, cleared his throat once more, and then said, "I also want to clear some things up." He leaned forward, and then placed his elbows on the table, clasping his hands in front of him.
"Minjoo-ssi," he began. Minjoo uncomfortably shifted in her seat. "I'm sorry for all the things I've done to you back then. I'm sorry I don't remember you," he said then looked down at his hands as he tapped his thumbs against each other. "Do you harbor any resentment toward me?" he asked.
Minjoo slowly shook her head. She was either lying about not hating Youngwoo or was now admitting that all the words and acts of hatred she had said and shown toward Youngwoo before were just a part of an elaborate dramatic scheme to catch his attention.
"You don't? So then are you in love with me?" Youngwoo asked. Indeed, blatant narcissism and nauseating vanity ran in the Lee family.
Minjoo's eyes flew wide open. "Say what?"
"Do you love me?" Youngwoo repeated. I smiled to myself. This is getting interesting, I thought.
Minjoo snorted. "Now, why would I love you?"
Youngwoo didn't reply, and we sat there in silence for a while, waiting for our food, staring at spaces other than our faces. Just as I felt my stomach growl, the waiter came with our dishes. A fancily garnished yellow fin chutoro roll for me, an equally well-presented Kobe beef Bulgogi and brown rice for Minjoo, and...
What? RAMYUN for Lee Youngwoo? What the heck?
"You came to this fancy restaurant just to order ramyun?" I commented with sarcasm.
"What? They make the best ramyun. It's first class," Youngwoo said before digging into his steaming hot soup. I smiled to myself. I now realized that Youngwoo was somewhat... special with a more or less borderline personality.
We ate in silence for a while; Minjoo and I were enjoying our high-priced dishes and Youngwoo was savoring his "first class," albeit cheap, ramyun.
When we finished our food, Minjoo excused herself to go to the restroom and pulled me along to go with her, leaving Youngwoo all by himself at the table.
"Minjoo, wasn't it too rude for us to leave him by himself?" I asked when we reached the restroom.
"It doesn't matter. He's been rude to us many times before," Minjoo replied before going to a stall.
When we both came out to wash our hands, Minjoo said, "Do you know why he's acting a little weird?"
"Weird? You mean nice?" I asked.
"Yeah, nice is a synonym for weird if you're Lee Youngwoo," she said. "Anyways, I think he's threatened by you, Sunmi."
"Huh? What do you mean threatened by me?" I asked while wiping my hands dry.
"I could see it on his face. The way he looked at you. He seemed uneasy. I think maybe he's annoyed that somebody could actually stand up to him, and now he can never step all over me because you are there to protect me, just like last night."
"Oh, you think so?" I asked, amused by the idea.
Minjoo gave me a very cheerful nod.
"Then, I guess that's a good thing, right?" I added before we went back to our table.
I felt Youngwoo's eyes studying us curiously as we sat back on our seats, but I pretended I was not aware. I wondered what was going on in his mind right now. He was still eating his second bowl of ramyun, and it seemed like he had been thinking a lot with every bite he took. After a while, I heard him clear his throat. This throat-clearing was really starting to get on my nerves. I looked up and saw him look at me, wiping his mouth with his napkin, and then back to Minjoo before he leaned on the backrest of his chair. "I want to make it clear that... uh..." he said, squinting at me and Minjoo, "unconventional dating is not allowed in my company."
At first I didn't know what he was talking about, so I just raised an eyebrow to express that I didn't understand what he meant, but then, seconds later, I realized what he was trying to say. Since Minjoo denied having feelings for him, he honestly thought that Minjoo and I were dating. "Youngwoo-ssi, I think you got the wrong idea. Minjoo and I are not together... not together like that."
He cocked an eyebrow.
"At least not yet," Minjoo added to my surprise, making me jerk my head to her so suddenly I thought I heard my neck crack. She slid her arm around mine and said, "Sunmi has been trying to court me for a few weeks now, but I haven't said yes yet. There's a guy who's also courting me, and I'm still trying to see who's going to win my heart first."
MINJOO, HAVE YOU BEEN SNORTING CRACK? I screamed in my head. I wanted to say it out loud but couldn't. Instead I just stared at her in disbelief. She looked back at me with an expression that said, 'Just pretend'.
Youngwoo studied us intently, more particularly at Minjoo. "Are you saying you're bi?"
Minjoo faked a smile at Youngwoo. "I don't know. I've never dated a girl before, but that could change if Sunmi wins my heart," she said, batting her eyelashes at me for effect.
Youngwoo stared at us for the longest time, it was so unnerving. "Look, I'm not trying to mind your business, but whatever it is that you two are in, I don't want to see it at work, understand?" Youngwoo said, putting a really hard stress on the word understand. I thought I saw his jaw twitch and his temple veins throb with abnormal intensity, and I wondered, was he mad? Was he jealous? I tried to suppress a smile. I honestly believed he was feeling something for Minjoo, and I was really curious to find out.
"Lee Youngwoo-ssi, are you in love with Minjoo?" I asked just as he shoved a mouthful of noodles into his mouth. He was so surprised by my question that he coughed out the noodles back to his bowl. GROSS.
"YAH! ARE YOU CRAZY? DO YOU WANNA BE FIRED?" he yelled at me, making some of the customers look our way with curious expressions. Youngwoo then lowered his voice, but still mad and incredulous. "Bae Sunmi! You almost killed me! I almost choked on my ramyun!"
I smirked at him and Minjoo glared at me.
"Don't smirk at me!" he demanded.
"You're in love with her, aren't you?" I teased, showing him that I was not intimidated (which I kind of was, actually). Minjoo repeatedly nudged me on my side with her elbow.
"Yah! Are you not going to shut up? Do you really wanna be fired?" he said, appearing to be hopping mad.
I must admit I was thoroughly entertained, and I wanted to tease him some more, but since Youngwoo looked like he was about to skewer me alive with his chopsticks, I just shut up and finished my food.
Surprisingly, Youngwoo still paid for my lunch despite the fact that he thought I almost committed second-degree manslaughter by causing him to almost choke on his noodles. When apologies were accepted and we agreed not to display our "alternative life style" relationship at work, we all separated ways.
I was on my way to the mall to get some new work clothes when my phone rang. It was an unknown number, so I decided not to pick it up, fearing that it might be Lee Youngwoo.
Minutes later, my phone rang again. I answered it this time.
"Hello? Is this Bae Sunmi's phone?" the voice on the other line asked. "This is Lee Jaewoong."
Last night, after my display of not-so-collected self, I was worried that Jaewoong would not talk to me again, which would have been okay since I already told myself that I shouldn't make my heart vulnerable to guys like Jaewoong. But still, I was disturbed. I wanted to be his friend, at least.
I was drowning in happiness upon hearing his voice, making me a little disconnected with my surroundings that I almost walked right into a lamppost. Good thing I caught myself before the collision.
"How did you get my number?" I asked.
"HR," Jaewoong replied.
Oh my God! Oh my God! He searched for my info! I screamed joyfully in my head. I could not help but smile from ear to ear. But then I reminded myself again that Lee Jaewoong could be a Yamamoto Akira understudy; he could make me smile brightly now but then could potentially break my freshly-glued heart into a million pieces later.
"Oh," I said, making sure my voice didn't sound as excited as I felt.
"Are you doing anything right now?" he asked.
"No," I answered rather quickly. "I mean, I'm just walking around in Gangnam."
I heard his soft chuckle on the other end of the line, and I wondered if he sensed the eagerness in my voice.
"I had lunch with your brother," I added.
"Oh? How was it?"
"It was good. He apologized for last night," I said. I stopped at a corner together with a few other pedestrians and waited for the 'walk' light to flash. "So, what's up? Why did you call me?"
"I was wondering if -"
"Yes?" Oh. My. God. Was he about to ask me out on a date? Okay, maybe I'll just go out with him once. Just once. Just to see how he is as a date. Just this once, and then I'll avoid him, I thought.
"Sunmi-ssi, can you hold for a sec?" Jaewoong said and then his voice got muffled. I knew he was covering the mouthpiece, but I could still hear what he was saying – "Mr. Joo, it's okay. I'll go by myself. I'll take a taxi..."
Then, Jaewoong uncovered his mouthpiece. "Sunmi-ssi, I'm sorry. Where were we?"
"Uh... I don't know... You haven't told me," I said. The cars had stopped now and people started crossing the street.
"Oh, right... right." He paused. "I was just wondering if you can help me with something. I was going to ask you last night, but with what happened and all, I didn't get the chance to."
"With what? What is it that you want me to do?" I asked, eager to hear what he was about to say.
"Uh... Can you help me with something? I need a woman's opinion..."
"Okay..." Help? You want my help? Not a date? "So... why me?" I asked.
"Uhm... Because I know you... and I trust you."
"You trust me? Why? Are you scared that other women will rape you or something?" I asked jokingly.
I heard him laugh on the other end of the line. "You're funny, Sunmi-ssi, but that's not what I meant. I meant, I don't want to just ask random women. A lot of them just flirt endlessly. It makes me uncomfortable, and it's annoying. But with you, I feel at ease because I know you won't flirt with me and you won't fall for me..." He paused and let out a seemingly forced, uneasy chuckle. "You won't, right?" He half-laughed after saying this. "Why did I even ask? Of course, you won't."
I stopped walking for a moment and leaned on a post, my voice temporarily caught in my throat, blocked by a surge of disappointment. I was right. I was right. He's never going to be interested in me. Of course, he won't be. He's not interested in any woman. The boy is freakin' engaged! Bae Sunmi, stop daydreaming! "Of course," I said softly. It was all I could manage to say out loud at that instant. I just hoped my sinking heart was not detectable in my voice.
"Okay. Let's meet at the food court in an hour," I suggested before hanging up.
In a few minutes, I arrived at the mall, but I ended up just sitting near the food court, waiting for Jaewoong. I was thinking too much about what he had said that I didn't think I had enough room in my head to think of which outfit would look good in an office setting, so I just decided to sit it out. As I watched passers-by walk to their destinations, I got to think of how ridiculously insane I was for feeling this way for Jaewoong. I had only known him for a few weeks, yet I felt really attracted to him already. And even though I knew from the beginning that he was off-limits, I still allowed myself to dream about him. After hearing hints that he wanted nothing more than friendship, I knew I should just let my feelings go or at least not allow it to grow.
He arrived in exactly an hour after I talked to him, wearing that signature heart-melting smile of his as he approached me. "Am I late?" he asked. He looked different, maybe because he was wearing really casual clothes – black baseball cap, white shirt, blue jeans, and black high-top sneakers. He still looked hot, though.
"No. You're exactly on time," I replied.
He sat next to me, saying nothing for a few minutes, just watching the people with a wistful look on his face, and I felt like he was hiding something behind the sweet, cheerful smile he flashed me earlier.
"Uh... Are you okay?" I asked as I got more uncomfortable sitting next to him in silence.
He looked at me with that sweet countenance again. I smiled back. There was something about his smile that always made me feel good. "Yeah... just wondering what kind of life these people lead," he said, nodding at those who passed by us. "They seem so... free," he added, with that faraway look again.
I felt a slight twinge in my heart hearing and seeing him say that. Something about him was oddly sad, and at that time, I couldn't really point it out.
"So, what is it that you need my help with?" I asked, trying to distract him from his nostalgic sadness.
"Uh... I need you to help me find a present," he said before standing up. "Like they say, gay people have more taste."
I stood up as well. "I think that applies to gay MEN. They're the artsy ones. More girly than girls."
"It doesn't matter. I just need your help."
We walked to a jewelry store, mostly in silence and slight awkwardness. Jaewoong was the amiable type, really far different from the spoiled, arrogant rich-boy type I initially pegged him as, but I was still intimidated and I had no idea how to start a conversation with him. I wished we could talk as freely and effortlessly again, just like that time we were at the top of the office building, but it wasn't happening. Patiently, I waited. He didn't talk much but smiled sweetly and shyly whenever our eyes met. Jaewoong was gentle and caring and... sigh... it will be really hard to block the growth of my inchoate feelings and keep him out of my heart.
When we entered the store, Jaewoong went directly to the women's jewelry section, so I immediately knew he was buying something for a woman. For his fiancé, perhaps? For a friend? For his sister? No, wait, he and Youngwoo don't have a sister. Maybe for his mom? For me?
Okay, erase the last part. I was just wishful thinking.
"Hi! How can I help you?" a short, stout man with black-rimmed rectangular glasses greeted us from behind a counter.
"Yes, I'm looking for something to give to someone," Jaewoong replied.
"For your girlfriend here?" the man asked, looking at me with a smile.
"No... uh... actually, it's for someone else," Jaewoong said. He didn't bother telling the man that I wasn't his girlfriend.
"Well, let's see..." the man began. "How old is she?"
"She's twenty-one," Jaewoong replied.
So, it must be his fiancé, I thought.
The man took out a silver necklace from the glass-enclosed case. The pendant was a heart interlinked with a circle. Jaewoong turned to me. "What do you think?" he asked, carefully handing me the jewelry.
"I like it," I said then studied it for a moment. "I think it means my love is eternal, or my heart is forever yours."
"You think so?" he asked, taking the jewelry back.
I nodded.
He turned to the salesman. "She likes it, but do you have anything else?"
The man handed him a white-gold necklace this time. The pendant on this one was a circle with two holding hands inside.
"What do you think this means, Sunmi-ssi?" Jaewoong asked, showing me the necklace.
I took it from him and studied the pendant for a moment. "I think it means I will hold your hand forever... Wait, that's too literal... I think maybe it means I will be with you forever."
"Hmm... interesting," Jaewoong said, taking the necklace from me. "Do you like it?"
"Yeah. I like it a lot. It's very touching," I said.
Jaewoong asked the man to hold the white-gold necklace for him while we browsed other items in the store. In the end, Jaewoong decided to buy the I-will-be-with-you-forever necklace and its matching bracelet. He also bought a pair of small 1/4th carat diamond-stud earrings and had both of the presents wrapped separately.
As we started off to search for a stuffed toy to go with the newly-bought jewelry set, I tried to start a conversation. "Jaewoong-ssi," I said.
"Hmm?" He stopped and looked at me.
"I'm sorry about last night... I, uh..." I was looking for the right words, the right phrases to say, when he interrupted my thoughts.
"Don't be sorry. Heejin deserved it. I never liked her, you know. I don't know why Hyung is still friends with her."
"You... you don't like her?" I asked.
"Nope," Jaewoong said, shaking his head. "I admit she's pretty, but everything about her is fake, like her personality."
"Oh," I said. "Then how about your date..."
"My date? You mean Yoojin? She was not my date. Heejin just brought her along last night. They're cousins."
"Oh... I thought you were together..."
"Because she was all over me?" He chuckled and looked at me. "But was I all over her? Sunmi-ssi, just because she couldn't get her hands off me doesn't mean we're together."
I looked away, feeling little creatures crawling under my skin. I was getting embarrassed for asking him about his relationship with Yoojin. Luckily, Jaewoong didn't notice it for he was now preoccupied with the pink and purple Sanrio stuffed toys displayed on a store window.
"I think I'd find what I'm looking for in there," he said and walked inside the store. I followed him, studying him from behind. There was an undeniable mystery about him, something that separated him from his cousins. He was unassuming, for one; I had not heard him ask me or the girls around me if we were in love with him. Well, Yisung had not asked me yet either, but he was just probably busy with the myriad of girls swarming around him. Two, Jaewoong didn't seem to be so happy with his life; the evidence showed in the pensive look in his eyes earlier. And the most baffling thing was that this mystery was drawing me to him. But I knew I had to stop myself before I get too close. I had to control my emotions. Right now, though, I had no idea how to. I was entangled in all this web of emotional confusion, and I always found myself vacillating between choice A and Choice B.
To like or not to like. To flee or to stay. To open my heart or to protect it...
But there is one thing I knew I wanted. Right now, now that I couldn't decide between A and B, I wanted to have his friendship, at least. I could keep him close while keeping my heart some distance away. I loved being around him, seeing his smile, hearing his voice. For him to stay close to me, I had to keep him believing I would not fall for him.
I have to keep pretending I'm gay.
Jaewoong paid for a Hello Kitty with a gem-stone studded pink shirt and then we headed out of the mall.
It was pushing five in the afternoon when we finally walked out of the shopping complex. Jaewoong asked me to go with him to one more store – a bake shop. For half-an-hour, we looked for the perfect cake. In the end, we decided to get the marble cake with a combination white and dark chocolate frosting. He asked the baker to put 2 and 1 candles and the words Happy Birthday on it.
So, all these are for a girl who's celebrating her 21st birthday, I concluded. I wonder who the lucky girl is. It must not be his fiancée coz he could not possibly mail the cake all the way to America. So, is he seeing someone else?
"Jaewoong-ssi, are these presents for your secret girlfriend?" I asked while we were on a train going to Incheon. I must admit I was very curious.
He just smiled at me and looked out the window.
"You can tell me, you know. I won't tell anybody," I said, pressing him for the truth.
"I'd rather not. I don't want you to get in trouble. Asking you to help me is already too much," he said and then looked at me. "Thanks again for doing this." He searched for something in the gift bag we had placed near our feet and took out a small box, one of the boxes from the jewelry store. "This is for you," he said.
"Huh? What's this?" It was the diamond stud earrings. "Why? What did I do to deserve this?" I asked before I could utter the more appropriate 'thank you' phrase.
"It's my way of saying thank you," he replied.
The gesture touched me so much that I just looked at him after receiving the gift, speechless, not knowing how to react. Why was he making it so hard for me to distance my feelings from him?
"Uh, Sunmi-ssi, I don't think you're supposed to just stare at someone who's given you something. You're supposed to say something, and since that gift is a thank you gift, then a 'You're Welcome' from you would be nice," he said in a joking manner.
"Thank you, Jaewoong-ssi... I mean, you're welcome... You didn't have to do this, you know. A nice dinner would have sufficed," I joked.
"Dinner? You want dinner? Then we'll have dinner," he said, his eyes twinkling as he looked at me admiring the earrings.
After I placed the earrings inside my bag, Jaewoong asked, "So, what kind of girl is your type?"
Without carefully processing the question in my head, I unknowingly blurted out, "You..." But I caught myself just in time and was able to quickly think of adding, "Ee," after seeing a girl-group poster by the train doors.
"U-ee? The singer U-ee? Of After School?" Jaewoong asked. "I think she's pretty, too," he said, nodding in agreement.
Shit! Shit! That was really close!
"Does your ex look like her?" Jaewoong asked, his eyes looking at me sideways.
Uh... actually, I was told more than once that Akira resembles Akanishi Jin, I thought. "No... not really..." I said, then chuckled nervously. "How about you? What's your type?" I asked, very curious, wondering if I would pass his standard... if only I were on a mission for him to like me, which I'm not... starting next minute.
"Hmm... I like simple girls..." Jaewoong began.
Am I simple? I think I'm simple, I thought.
"...sweet..."
I can be sweet... just not around people like Heejin.
"I like expressive eyes..." he continued.
I can work on that...
"I like it when she's poised and feminine..."
Dang, I reeeeaaaally need to work on that. But then, I reminded myself that I didn't need to work on anything because I wasn't really after him. No, I'm not... Really... Starting next minute.
But I couldn't rid myself of curiosity, so I asked him another question. "If you have to sum up all the qualities and pick a celebrity that you think has all of those, who would it be?" I asked.
He thought for a moment to consider my question, his eyes looking up. "It would be Han Ji Min," Jaewoong replied after careful thought.
"Han Ji Min?" I repeated. I scanned my brain to see if I knew a Han Ji Min.
"Uh-huh," he said.
I didn't know who it was, so I made a mental note to Google her later. I wondered if I looked anything like Han Ji Min.
For a while we just sat on our seats, looking at other passengers or staring into space, once again enveloped in ineluctable silence. When the train screeched to one of its stops, the one before our destination, an old woman slowly approached me. Then, when the train started moving again, she sat next to me, staring at me in an eerie kind of way. She looked like a hobo with her wrinkled, ankle-length brown skirt and her unkempt salt-and-pepper hair that was so tangled it looked like it had not seen a comb since the Korean War.
"Hi there, pretty girl," she said with a smile that revealed four mud-colored teeth.
"Uh... hi," I said, politely bowing at her. Jaewoong pulled me closer to him, to distance me from the stranger.
"Do you want me to read your fortune?" she asked, sliding closer to me.
"Uh... no, thanks. I don't really believe in..." But before I could finish my sentence, she clutched my wrist with her very dirty hands. I tried to pull my hand away, but she held on tight, tracing the lines on my palm with engrossed curiosity.
"You have a very interesting life, my dear," she said, peering closer at my hand. "Right now, people you care about don't really know the real you..."
The train skreaked, stopping at our destination, and Jaewoong quickly pulled me to my feet, dragging me away from the old lady. I didn't straight off realize that his hand was holding my wrist until after we stepped off the train, where he quickly released me off his grip.
"Tonight will shape your future, my dear! Do well and your heart will be well," the old lady called after me, then started laughing to herself.
"She's crazy," Jaewoong whispered as we walked farther away from the railway platform.
"Wow, that was weird," I said. My heart was pounding, not because I was scared but because of the things she said (and partly because Jaewoong had his hand around my wrist earlier). It was true that people around me don't really know the real me. But she could have just guessed that, right? And what did she mean about tonight shaping my future?
"Don't think about it," Jaewoong said, gently patting my back. "Sometimes, crazy people talk to me, too," he said with a soft laugh.
We got out of the Incheon subway station and pushed through a crowd of commuters before getting out into the neon-lit streets of the city. Jaewoong managed to keep the cake box (and the cake inside) in pristine condition despite the crowd that pushed us around. The Hello Kitty stuffed toy and the jewelry were safely tucked in the gift bag I was holding.
"Jaewoong-ssi, you still haven't told me where we're going," I said.
"We're in Incheon," he said with a playful smirk.
"Duh, I know that. I can read Hangeul, you know," I said as I tried to walk faster to keep up with his long strides. "I'm asking who we are going to go visit."
"Just someone I know," he replied. There was a tone of finality in his voice, suggesting that he didn't want to elaborate any further, so I didn't push the subject.
We walked for a while, passing food stalls full of men having Korean barbecue and drinking soju. The sky had streaks of fading orange and pink lights, remnants of the sun that had sunk behind apartment buildings of the city. I wondered what time I would be able to get home tonight. Good thing I'd already texted Wonhee that I would be home late.
It was already dinner time, so Jaewoong walked faster because he wanted to make sure the cake would be at the birthday girl's place in time for dessert.
We reached a residential area where small houses were built on the sides of an uphill street. I could tell this wasn't the kind of neighborhood a Lee heir would live, so I had a feeling we were not going to a relative's house. When we rounded a corner, Jaewoong halted and turned to me. "Sunmi-ssi, this is where I need your help," he said, handing the cake box to me. "I have to stay here because I can't show my face there, but I want you to bring all these to the last house on the left. Give it to whomever. They will know who these presents are for."
"Why can't you go with me?" I asked, puzzled by his furtive behavior.
"I just can't, okay?" he said. Again, it sounded final.
So, I walked over to my destination, wondering what kind of mystery I was about to uncover.
I knocked on a wooden gate five times before somebody finally poked a head out. "Can I help you?" she asked. She was a very pretty girl in her early twenties, and I had a feeling she was the mystery girl. She had no make-up on and her hair was pulled in a tight ponytail, but she still looked beautiful. I wouldn't be surprised if she was Jaewoong's ex or his first love or a childhood sweetheart. I wondered if she looked like Han Ji Min.
"Hi! I was asked to... deliver these," I said, handing her the presents, starting with the cake.
She scanned the street behind me as if she knew Jaewoong was hiding somewhere. "Is it from Jaewoong-oppa?" she asked.
I shrugged. "Beats me," I said. "He didn't say his name," I added, knowing that Jaewoong wanted anonymity.
"I know it's from him," she said, smiling although her eyes spoke of sadness. "He never forgets."
At that moment, a middle-aged woman came out of the house and peered at me. She was followed by an older man. "Did Jaewoong ask you to do this?" the woman asked, not a bit delighted with the generous deed.
"Er... no," I replied. I still had to keep lying.
But the woman didn't believe me. "Tell him not to do this anymore. He's going to get us in trouble."
Before I could say something, the woman slammed the door in my face, making me stagger backwards in surprise.
Who are these people? I asked myself. I still hadn't solved the mystery. And why would they get in trouble if Jaewoong gave them presents?
I walked back to where Jaewoong was supposed to wait for me, ready to give an account of my encounter with the mysterious family, but he was not where he was earlier. I looked around, alarmed. The street was deserted. Jaewoong was nowhere to be found.
"Jaewoong-ssi!" I called out. Jaewoong didn't reply. "Jaewoong-ssi!" I called out again, retracing the steps we took earlier. As I turned to another street, I saw a group of people standing in the middle, doing something. Kicking something on the ground. Kicking something – someone – wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.
I gasped for dear life as soon as I realized it was Jaewoong being kicked by neighborhood hooligans.
SH!T!!!
"HEYYYYY!!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!" I screamed. They stopped kicking him and turned to me. And, as if thinking I didn't pose any threat, four of them went back to beating up Jaewoong and the other two kept their eyes on me. "I SAID LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!"
I ran toward them as fast as I could, dropping my bag on the side of the street, charging at the person with the butchered bowl haircut with a Roundhouse kick that hit his neck. He staggered and then I gave him a hard blow just below his sternum. The other guy – this one was a baldhead – was charging at me now, and when he was close enough, I delivered a side kick at him, hitting him on his chest, and then followed it up with a Tornado kick.
While fighting these two, I heard the other guys yelling expletives at Jaewoong:
"FCUK YOU! FCUK YOU, RICH BOY!"
"YOU DARE SHOW YOUR FCUKING FACE HERE???"
"YOU SON OF A B!TCH! YOU DON'T FCUKIN' BELONG HERE!"
"PIECE OF SH!T!!!" I heard a guy hawk his throat and then... SPLAT! The sticky phlegm landed right next to Jaewoong's face.
I was somewhat distracted by what was going on around Jaewoong that I had not been able to dodge a punch that was thrown right into the side of my mouth by the baldhead. "AAAAHHHH!!!" I screamed. That hurt. He attempted to strike again, but this time I was able to block his fist before Hammer-striking him on his nose. He fell to the ground. I kneed the other guy after he delivered a blow that grazed my shoulder, and backed up a little to do a roundhouse kick on his neck. That threw him to the ground, groaning.
Two others turned around and shot me killer looks. They rushed toward me, and I heard Jaewoong yell, "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!!! SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!" He tried to get up but the other men near him beat him down again. Before the two men could attack me, I did a Tornado kick on them, hitting one after another. They staggered but didn't fall. Knife-Handing one guy on the shoulder finally defeated him. Sensing the other guy sneaking up behind me, I quickly raised a Backfist and struck him right on the face. Knocking them out was easier than I thought. I still got mad skills.
I climbed on the back of the guy who was kicking Jaewoong on the shin and pulled his asymmetrical Mohawk before doing a choking technique on him. He passed out and dropped to the ground, too. The last one standing got away with Jaewoong's money, expensive watch, baseball cap, and a shoe. I wanted to run after him, to get Jaewoong's stuff back, but I decided to take care of Jaewoong instead.
"Jaewoong-ssi!" I cried, kneeling beside him. He stirred, slowly opening his eyes. I didn't have to ask him if he was okay because I already knew he wasn't. "Jaewoong-ssi! Are you stupid? Why did you just let them beat you up?" Is this really the kind of guy I want to fall for? An inconceivably stupid WIMP? He didn't reply and just groaned. I pulled him to his feet and hoisted his arm around my shoulder and picked up my bag on the street side. With his weight mostly on mine, I managed to drag him away from the knocked-out thugs, to a more crowded and well-lit street where I was able to hail a taxi.
"Jaewoong-ssi, tell me where you live, so I can tell the driver," I said. I felt myself choke with sadness seeing him in this state of pain. What if I didn't come here with him? Who would have saved him?
He didn't reply but continued moaning instead, and mumbled indistinctively about him feeling like dying. "I can't... go home... like this... Sunmi-ssi," he finally uttered.
"Let's go to the hospital then," I suggested. "I'll call your brother, too."
"No! Please don't bring me there," he pleaded. "And don't call... anybody..." His voice trailed off. I had no idea why I just followed everything he wanted me to do today. And because he didn't want me to bring him home or to the hospital, I just told the taxi driver to bring us to my house instead. He was groaning in pain during the ride, but he did manage to ask me something. "Sunmi-ssi... how did you... how were you able to defeat... them?" he asked, his eyes closed.
"I'm a third dan black belt," I replied, looking away, wiping a tear from my face. He was really lucky I was there.
"You looked like Chuck Norris back there," he said then placed his head on my shoulder, half-smiling but still moaning in pain. "Thank you... but you didn't have to save me... I deserved the beating..."
"You could've been killed..."
He didn't say anything anymore, just continued to groan. With each uttered whimper, I wanted to hug him, to pull him closer, to make his pain go away, but I chickened out because I knew that the closer I let my heart to him, the more hurt I would be in the end. There were just too many barriers that I would have to tear down, his closed heart being number one. I couldn't just shut my eyes and let myself dive into a sea of imminent heartaches.
I knew I couldn't get through his heart, so I just let him lean on my shoulder as he moaned out his pain, like a "just a friend" would do. I looked out the window and watched the lights of the city and other cars whir by, wiping the drops of tears that occasionally escaped my eyes, feeling the warmth of his breath against the side of my neck, wondering if this incident was what the homeless woman was talking about.
Tonight will shape your future, my dear! Do well and your heart will be well... How on earth did that fight shape my future?
When we arrived at my place, Wonhee opened the gate. She turned pale seeing a beat-up man leaning on me. "Sunmi-ah, who in the world is that?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear.
"It's one of my bosses," I said, hauling Jaewoong inside the house. I brought him to one of the empty rooms and laid him on the make-shift bed that Wonhee had quickly set. I packed a few ziplock bags with ice and used them as cold compress on Jaewoong's injuries.
Wonhee made us congee for dinner, and I fed Jaewoong as much as he could take, which was only a few spoonfuls. I decided to change his clothes to clean and more comfortable ones – my oversized white t-shirt and drawstring pajamas. If we were here in this room at a different time, under different circumstances, I probably would have blushed as I undressed him down to his navy blue Dolce&Gabbana boxers. But now, as I wiped his body clean, all I could think about was the fact that he could have been killed by those hoodlums. I shuddered at the thought.
"Sunmi-ssi..." he said, raising a hand to touch the cut on my lips. "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me."
"I'm not hurt..."
"I'm sorry I couldn't take you to dinner tonight," he continued. "I'll take you next time..." He gave a tired smile before closing his eyes.
I stayed up until after midnight, putting cold compress on his bruises in thirty-minute intervals. I had given him a pain reliever after dinner, which was what soothed him to slumber. As I watched him in his sleep, my heart ached again seeing the bruises on his body and the cuts on his face. However, I was mad at him, too. Why didn't he just give those bastards what they wanted? Why did he just let them trounce him?
And then I wondered why he didn't want to go to the hospital, and why he didn't want to go home where he could be tended by many, where he could be in a much more comfortable bed than this hardwood floor.
Was Lee Jaewoong hiding something from me and his family?