six months later...
---
kim stares intently at the invitation card handed to her. there's a big "conan and hongyok nuptial" in front of it. she smiles, eyeing the couple across the table.
"wow. you're finally tying the knot?"
"it's about time," says conan, turning aside to look at her fiancée. "i don't see any reason now why i shouldn't marry this beautiful person here."
"sweet-talker," says hongyok, playfully nudging conan. "i was close to thinking you don't have plans of proposing."
"oh, c'mon. you knew i always wanted to marry you. i just couldn't get on with the plan because i was too busy with sau."
hongyok rolls her eyes. "took you a long time to act on it. if you hadn't proposed anytime sooner, i'd break up with you."
kim smiles at the couple, somewhat envying them for making it through all the hardships. she witnessed how conan was so eager to see her girlfriend every vacation and she felt hongyok's patience waiting for her girlfriend to come home to her.
although there's a bit of jealousy inside of her, she's happy these two are finally walking down the aisle.
"that's rude." conan puts a hand to his chest, feigning hurt.
"i was just kidding!" hongyok holds conan's hand. "look i know it took you a bit of time because you and kim are busy. the endorsements you got after your dismissal from sau are just enormous. if you hadn't proposed sooner i would have proposed to you first instead. i was just waiting to make sure you have fully adjusted to your new life before i pop the question. but i didn't want to wait long either as i know many people would want to steal my girl now that she's a celebrity."
"we're not on that level," says conan. "the fees we're getting from those endorsements will help us get a living once fame dies out. we know this status isn't something permanent. we're taking the opportunities while they are here right in front of our faces. right, kim?"
kim nods. "that's why we've hired advisors to manage our finances and investments. wouldn't want to go broke once we're old. we want to take our mind off things and focus on more important matters, like your wedding."
conan looks at hongyok. "you need to tell kim about that."
"ahh. that. you're right." hongyok clears her throat and turns to kim. "umm. we, uh, we invited her too."
"her?" kim contemplates for a moment. "suzy?"
"no. the other woman in your life."
"oh." kim reclines back on her chair when it finally clicks in her head. "with her family, i suppose?"
hongyok nods. "along with her mom and jane. i hope you're fine with that."
the last words hongyok said didn't register as kim's already trapped in the thought she will see 'her' again.
how long has it been? two years. their last talk broke them both. will it be the same this time? or has 'she' moved on now?
because, although trying, kim's sure she's stuck in the same place til now.
hongyok's hand waves in front of her face. "kim?"
kim blinks. "ah. yeah. well, it's your wedding. you can invite anyone you like. they are your friends too."
"are you sure?" conan asks. "we're worried it may ruin your mood. we want you to enjoy the event too."
"don't worry about me. i'll be fine." kim flashes the sincerest smile she could. "it's your day. do whatever you like. i'll be there to support you both."
hongyok reaches out for kim's hand on the table. "thank you. that means a lot to me, to us."
"well, since you mentioned suzy, you can bring her as your plus one," says conan. "i believe it would thrill everyone to see you with a date."
kim laughs silently. "nah."
"i still feel upset you and nam turned out to be more like best friends rather than lovers." conan sighs. "you two look good together. don't you two want to cross the line?"
"we're fine the way we are now," says kim, tapping her fingers on the table. "yes, i think we both liked each other for some time but it never went past that. besides, she recently got a boyfriend. let's not ruin their relationship." there was a pause as some thoughts linger until she voices it out absently. "maybe some things are just... just not meant to be..."
hongyok and conan remain silent, looking at kim eagerly.
realising what she said, kim clears her throat. she gestures to the menu instead. "shall we order food?"
"aren't we going to wait for suzy first?" hongyok asks.
kim checks her phone quickly. "she got held up at work a bit but will be here in a few minutes."
"you should have picked her up. hongyok and i can wait here," says conan.
"i offered, but she doesn't want me to get involved much in the celebrity stuff."
"wow. protective. are you two like together now?" hongyok asks.
"i dunno. we haven't talked about it yet," says kim. "it's been just a couple of days and i'm curious to see where this goes."
"you don't like her that much?" conan asks.
"eh... can't say yet. i mean, she's pretty, but it's too early to take things seriously."
"take your time, kim," says conan, reaching out for kim's hand on the table and rubbing a thumb over it. "we know this is the first time you've taken a chance in dating again after so many years. take it slow, please? i don't want you rushing into things and risk getting hurt again, especially with suzy who's got a reputation of being a playgirl."
kim smiles. "thank you for the concern. i promise i'll take it slow."
"speaking of, she's already here, kim." conan eyes the entrance to the restaurant.
kim looks over her shoulders, catching a sight of a goddess in a red sleeveless dress walking towards their table, her heeled shoes tapping on the marble floor.
tok... tok... tok... tok... tok...
kim flinches as a sudden uncanny feeling takes over. this scene is much more familiar than it should be--like a déjà vu.
tok... tok... tok... tok... tok...
everyone in the room is ogling at the woman who just came in, but kim's mind got trapped in a scene from her past, recalling a feeling coming out of nowhere.
suddenly, she found herself in the school auditorium again, sitting on the chair, waiting for the program to start.
then voices appear out of nowhere, whispering in her ears, reminding her of the familiarity. but despite the noise from the kids who are attending the orientation too, one voice stands out.
'i... i'm... pie...'
kim looks away, blinking.
'i... i'm... pie...'
"shit..." she brings a hand to massage her temples.
'i... i'm... pie...'
kim shakes her head, not wanting to drown in that memory again. she extends her arm, grasping for something, for anything that would bring her back to the present world.
then she feels a hand.
"hey. you all right? is your head aching again?" suzy asks.
kim could finally breathe. she closes her eyes and composes herself.
"uh... yeah... i'm fine..." she stands up and holds suzy around her waist. "guys, i know you already heard about each other, but since this is your first meeting, this is suzy. suzy, this is hongyok and conan."
suzy shakes their hands. "it's my pleasure to finally meet you two."
"pleasure's all ours!" says hongyok.
"yeah. we're very much thrilled to meet you," says conan. "you and kim have been the trending talk of the showbiz news these past few days."
suzy rolls her eyes. "can't do anything about paparazzi. we'll just let them think what they want, right?"
kim smiles. "right."
"did i keep you waiting?" suzy sits down. "i hope kim didn't bore you with her boringness."
hongyok and conan shake their heads, both smiling.
"i'm not boring." kim pouts.
"oh. you surely aren't." suzy cups kim's face and wiggles her head. she leaves a red mark on kim's cheek with a kiss.
satisfied, she turns to to hongyok and conan. "shall we order food?"
---
"the construction already started months ago," explains kim, waving her fork in the air. "we're expecting everything to end within a year."
"wow. i didn't know you were hardcore about this," says suzy. "when you said you wanted to start a hotel, i thought it was just an idea."
"it's not just me." kim motions to her friends from across the table. "conan and i have been thinking about this for years. there are lots of sceneries in yeosan people takes for granted for years because of evens. people there are poor and the progress of their town is very slow because of lack of investments and establishments. conan and i think that building a hotel there will attract travellers which will cause new employment openings for the residents. hopefully, it'll ripple to seeing their livelihoods improve too."
suzy nods. "so... where do i fit in this?"
"i'm glad you asked." kim smiles, a sly one. "so, we're kind of hoping you could be the face of yeosan hotel..."
"ahh... endorsement..." a smile slips off suzy's face. "i should have guessed it right away. but why not do it you both, kim and conan? you two are popular as much as i am."
"well, the thing is, we're kind of tired seeing our faces on endorsements," explains conan, making suzy laugh. "kidding aside, we seriously think we need someone with a calibre like yours to handle this. and we all know how influential you are."
"also, we're trying to take this as low-key as much as we can," says kim. "we don't want politicians or the military getting involved with this investment of ours."
"that's an actress like you, who's not involved in aef or sau before, nor linked to any politicians, is the best face for this business venture," explains hongyok. "only if you'll agree."
"i'd be glad to help," says suzy. "however, your attempt to make it anonymous may end up futile because people know kim and i have been hanging out lately."
"we don't think we'll be able to hide our names completely," says conan. "but we don't want to brag it to the world either."
"you've got this all well planned, don't you?" suzy asks kim.
"well, conan and i were used in planning strategies before," says kim.
suzy raise her palms. "okay. okay. i'm up for it."
hongyok and conan almost jump in excitement.
"you don't know how much this means to us, to me." kim holds suzy's hand.
"but it will not be free, baby." suzy leans in. "you need to have a word with my manager first and you will pay me a fortune for it."
kim downs the wine in her glass. "how do you want me to pay you?"
"i would have to think about the price yet." suzy points on the kiss mark on kim's cheek and scoots closer into the latter's ear. "but i would want the down payment tonight."
---
the movement on the other side of the bed wakes kim up. too tired to mind, she closes her eyes again.
"fuck. i'm sore, kim." suzy chuckles. "what did you do to me?"
kim rubs her eyes. "you asked for a down payment, right?"
"right. i just didn't expect you're gonna do me hard."
kim turns around and sees suzy trying to wear a shirt in the dark. "where are you going?"
"water. thirsty."
"why wear my shirt if you're just going to the kitchen?"
"two things: it's cold, and i don't want to walk in your kitchen naked."
kim props herself up on her elbow. "you look sexy naked."
"oh, kim. would you like me to get you a glass?"
"mmm-mmm. please."
kim's eyes follows the figure as suzy walks around the dark room with the moon from the window serving as the only source of light.
however, seeing a silhouette of a woman with a messy-bed hair triggers something inside her. for a moment, she thought the silhouette belongs to someone else.
someone from her past.
the silhouette finally reveals its face, reminding kim it's another person.
"be back right away." suzy kisses kim's cheek.
not sure what's gotten into her, kim holds the woman around the waist and pulls her down to lie on top of her.
suzy yelps.
kim brushes their lips together like she's hungry for it. suzy reciprocates.
as soon as the imaginary image of another woman vanishes from her mind, kim slowly pulls away.
suzy leans over to bite kim's lower lip. "it seems you still have the energy for another round, huh?"
kim smirks, running her palms down the sensitive legs of her partner. "is it bad if can't seem to get enough of you?" she kisses the woman again, softer this time.
"mmm. but i'm afraid if i let you touch me again, i won't be able to walk properly tomorrow."
kim laughs. "you're exaggerating."
"i'm not." suzy pulls away and pushes herself up. "and i'm seriously thirsty now. be back."
kim watch suzy walk out of the room as yet another déjà vu strikes again. she remembers someone from years ago, a woman wearing nothing but kim's shirt, walking around the room after they made love.
she brushes her fingers through her hair and sighs.
"fuck. this isn't good."