[Author's Note: Accidentally published this but unpublished then will be republished once finished. Sorry!
Reviews are love! <3]
Chapter 2
They say good things come to those who wait.
Well, I say thanks but no thanks. I mean, honestly, it works for most people... BUT me.
Waiting is for people who have time to waste on someone or something that may or may not even be worth waiting for. It's a simple piece of logic.
But as in most stories, unexpected things happen when you least expect them... especially when you're NOT waiting for anything to happen at all.
~
The entire week following that phone call from The Land of the Morning Calm was practically a circus coming to town and a Filipino-style fiesta all rolled into one.
Naturally, people congratulated the couple the moment they posted about it on Facebook, Instagram, and every possible social platform they could get a hold of. Sai's family and relatives even came to visit and brought gifts from whatever area of the country they were from. Their cellphones were also ringing off the hook and their tablets and laptops kept pinging with those annoying notification alerts every other second.
I think the hype for the approval of such a man with a very lofty position in a very lucrative business, a social circle that includes diplomats, celebrities and CEOs, has very conservative reservations and deeply rooted traditions dating back to several dynasties, is more of an actual cause for celebration than their wedding or the birth of their daughter.
Really. I think that if it were possible for them to actually close down the busiest part of Lacson Street to hold a street party: complete with street dancers, A-list local celebrity guest performers, drum-beaters, upstanding (or corrupt) politicians and expensive games and prizes to be given away, they would definitely be up for it.
Jun's family were just as delighted to know that their prodigal son has been forgiven and accepted by his very uptight father into their welcoming embraces. They were most eager to meet Sai and their almost year old daughter.
Jun's mother and sister were two of the most frequent callers this past week.
But ever since that lazy Sunday, they've both been quite busy greeting well-wishers and entertaining visiting relatives, and even beginning the actual process of attaining Sai and their daughter, Emma's visas for their move to Jun's homeland that they don't even have time to actually celebrate anymore.
At work, Sai's students and even our boss have been teasing and excitedly telling her to meet them once they get settled in Korea. They make promises like bringing her to their favourite places: for shopping, dining, relaxing, and other forms of entertainment.
It was all too perky and electrified that it was growing irksome already. I was quickly getting irritable everywhere I went. It was a constant reminder that my roommates were about to leave me behind and live out their fairytale happily ever after.
Meanwhile, I was basically stuck in a dead end job with no benefits, no career path, no way of saving for my dreams, no recognition and a no-good boss (or boss's wife). My dreams of owning my own quaint little book shop or cafe was basically improbable. My social life was very limited to a handful of really close friends outside the workplace and most of them have already flown the coop; living their dreams.
And my love life? Let's just say that it's nonexistent... and will forever stay that way. Period.
"Lil, are you busy later?" Sai asked me as she slid into my room.
The dismissal bell had just rung and my student had already zoomed off somewhere in search of food.
"Not really... you know me." I replied while rearranging the mountain of things on my desk. "Why? What's up?"
"Jun and I really want to finish up all the requirements para we can submit it na to the agency." she winced as she answered.
"Aahh..." I nodded, "Do you want me to babysit?"
Her eyes widened even more than the usual at my guess.
"Really? Are you sure?" she gasped.
"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure," I chuckled, "And besides, I know you guys are in a hurry. Aaaand I'm not busy."
"You know us so well!" she chuckled along with me.
"I've been living with you guys for more than a year." I deadpanned.
She had the grace to look sheepish, laugh at herself and then thank me for the favour.
"Are you going to meet with your hubby for lunch?" I asked as I grabbed my coin purse and phone
"No. I'm eating here with you guys," she said, sighing heavily, "We think it's best to get everything done first and THEN we'll be able to actually enjoy this blessing."
We headed out of my room and into the lobby to buy our lunches from downstairs.
I nodded, "Makes sense."
"Wait."
Sai turned to me so abruptly, that I almost ran into her.
"Sai!"
"Oops! Sorry!"
"Let's just go, please?" I huffed, too hungry to let the moment drag on.
"No. I was going to ask you," she hesitated.
"What?"
"You don't have class in the afternoon anymore, right?" she asked, cringing.
It's not a big deal for me if I only have three or four students but Sai still thinks that it's a touchy subject among us tutors here in the office. For most of the other tutors, yes. It is a touchy subject to talk about because it means they'll have a smaller salary every two weeks. And it's a pain to listen to them bitch about it.
You see, that's the problem in this company. Supposedly, the rules state that the employees would have a standard payment and then have additions to that payment whenever the number of students per tutor increases. But unfortunately, our boss found a way around said rule and just pays us by the hour per student. So, if you don't have the full schedule of eight, one-on-one classes per day, your salary could, in total, just amount to a very tiny number.
Hence the bitching.
"So you're gonna eat lunch with us and then go home?" Sai asked, tilting her head as our boss breezed into the lobby and headed straight for his office.
"OR, I could just wait here until about 3 to 4pm, be all lazy and shit and use the free WiFi and AC." I retorted, making my voice loud enough so that our boss could hear it clearly; trying to get a reaction from him.
I turned to Sai to see her reaction but she wasn't looking at me or even paying attention to what I had just said.
'Damn.'
I followed her line of sight and saw that a young, tall man had just entered the lobby right behind our boss; was probably following him in.
He was wearing a snapback low enough that it actually concealed half of his face from me. He was built well and seemed to have an easy grace about him that hinted of his self-confidence. He wore a plain, light blue, button-down, short-sleeved shirt that was tucked into soft, tan, well-fitting trousers with the cuffs folded up and navy blue loafers with white stitching and piping.
'Preppy.' I thought and rolled my eyes.
I turned back to Sai but her attention was still on the young man and she didn't seem inclined to remove her eyes from him. 'Hello! Married woman!'
I sighed heavily and snapped my fingers right by her ears. She jumped a little and blinked owlishly before she swiveled her big eyes and smacked them onto mine. Her face was something that I'd never seen her make before in the almost five years that I had known her.
Her eyes were rounder but not by mischief or glee or humor or silliness. No. They were rounded by shock and disbelief. Her mouth was slightly ajar since her jaw had slackened.
"What?"
She shook her head, to possibly clear it of any lusty thoughts, and looked at me with concern evident in the lines between her eyebrows.
"What?" I demanded impatiently.
She startled me when she grabbed my arm and forcibly dragged me to the hallway.
"Wha- what the heck?!" I screeched, trying to get out of her grip, "Sai!"
"Shh!" she admonished, looking serious as she hauled me to a corner, "Just listen!"
I flinched, getting a bit scared of her because I'd never seen her act like this. At all.
"Did you see him?" she whispered urgently.
"Who?"
"The guy who just came in!" she hissed, nodding in the direction of the lobby area.
"Um... no?" I grimaced.
"I don't want you to-"
Whatever she was about to say, I will never know because just then, our boss materialized behind her and nearly gave us both a coronary.
"Lili, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked in his slightly nasal voice.
"Uh... s-sure, Sir." I stammered as Sai reluctantly let me go.
She gave me the same look of concern and... maybe a little bit of fear.
'Huh...'
She was really starting to worry me. This thought permeated my temporal lobe as I followed our boss to his office with a frown on my face. When he stopped just right inside and started talking in Korean, I knew that something was definitely up.
It was him. The guy that had Sai worried and... afraid. What could possibly have provoked such a reaction from a fairly jovial and optimistic woman?
He and my boss were speaking in low tones and I could only catch a few phrases that I could somehow comprehend along with a few Konglish words and, most importantly, my name.
The guy's face remained obscured from my view; hidden in the shadow of his cap. His profile wasn't familiar to me at all.
But his mouth... it seemed... was reminiscent of someone. Someone... but I couldn't put my finger on it.
My boss's unexpected exclamation brought on a very charming grin on the stranger's lips. Lips that were suddenly all too painfully familiar. So familiar that they evoked feelings, feelings that have been buried for over half a year and were too raw to be reopened and displayed for all to see. It felt like being in the presence of a Dementor from that magical series of novels; every single happy thought or feeling you've ever had was being sucked right out of you and a strange chill seeping into your bones while darkness crept into your vision, slowly killing you.
I didn't realize that I had gasped and was staring at the stranger, looking as if I'd seen a ghost.
They both turned to me simultaneously. My boss's face was riddled with confusion while the stranger's was still hidden by that damn hat.
"Oh. Uhh... Teacher Lili, please come in." my boss nodded.
I shakily stepped into the threshold and dreaded what my boss was going to say.
"This is your new student. He will start today but..." he smiled that awkward smile of his, "You will be having a very different kind of class with him."
He turned to the new student and introduced me, "This is Teacher Lili. She's the one you requested?"
"Yes, she is." the stranger affirmed in a very firm and deep tone. His Korean accent was barely audible and he spoke those three short words with the same confidence that I'd detected just moments ago.
He turned his head back at me and I knew there could be no mistaking this man's identity.
When he finally took off his hat, I need not ask for his name. I felt my legs go weak and my stomach twisting and growing heavy.
His eyes, so different from the ones that haunted my dreams and thoughts, were so intense and full of mystery that their dark depths seemed to pull me in; I was helpless against them. His small face and tall, almost aristocratic nose were the first things that would draw your eyes. His cheekbones and jawline would give every male model a run for their money. His mouth, oh sweet baby Jesus, they were exactly the same as the ones that appeared in my dreams... and nightmares. Those pale pink, slightly plump, wide lips.
That spellbinding smile.
I couldn't take my eyes off of them. It was like I was hypnotized or something.
Then he smirked.
"Hello." he greeted quietly, with that deep, rough tone. He stepped forward and offered me his hand.
Somehow, I was still aware of my boss actually watching our exchange so I took the smallest baby step, careful not to sway or actually faint.
"I'm Jinwoo." he said as he actually reached down and took my hand; his eyes practically glued to mine, "I'm Dongwoo's brother."
My entire world spun upon hearing his name again. I can't show any of them how all of this really affected me.
So I clenched my jaw a little, firmly shook his hand in return and steadily looked back into those deep pools as I raised my chin just a fraction and said:
"I know."
'Your brother Buldak Bokkeum Myun-ed my heart...'
~♡~
Translations:
Filipino-style fiesta = Filipino style town or village party
para = so that
na = already
Buldak Bokkeum Myun = Korea's spiciest noodles that they make your mouth feel like it's burning and can actually go numb
~♡~
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