Son Yejin POV
Law Offices of Gong Yoo and Associates
"Mr. Gong, can I go home now?"
"Home or the bar across the street, huh?"
"The bar across the street, Sir."
"Bring me the memo and the subpoenas documents that I have asked you to finish today, then you can go."
"I have passed it to Taejoon, Sir, and I believe he is working on those documents."
"Is Taejoon your boss here?"
"You are, but you were out all day and I think Taejoon will help you get them done quicker."
"My God, Son Yejin! No more excuses and get those documents here, please. I'm tired."
"Alright. Should I order a take out for you too, Sir?"
"I'm asking for fucking subpoenas documents not a box of fried chicken!"
"Okay, coming to you soon."
20 minutes later.
"What took you so long?!"
"Here comes the subpoenas documents and the fried chicken. Bon appétit!"
"Son Yejin...oh my God," he exhaled, "thank you. Come, sit, have some with me."
"Thank you, but maybe next time, Sir. My friends have been waiting for me. Sorry about the documents and my initiatives to pass it to Taejoon, I just want to help. But next time, I'll always prepare the fried chicken earlier."
"Why the fried chicken?"
"A hungry man is an angry man."
"I'm sorry for what I said. I was hungry. Bill it to the finance on my personal expense."
"Told you what. Goodbye, Mr. Gong, see you tomorrow!"
Wish You Were Beer Bar
"Where the hell were you Yejin? Yumi is already tipsy!" Shinhye points at Yumi who has been sitting next to her with heads on the table, unclear whether she is still sober or not.
"Shinhye, sorry, her husband was troubling me with some documents. He was hungry so I have to take care of that first, order a fried chicken before I can leave in peace. I'm still a new secretary there."
Yumi recommended me when her husband, Gong Yoo, a family attorney, was looking for a new legal secretary. I was unemployed at the moment so he gave me an interview and hired me. I have been teaming up with a young idealist intern soon to be lawyer Choi Taejoon, who happens to be Park Shinhye's husband. So practically my world revolves around these two best friends of mine and their husbands.
Jung Yumi is a few years older than me, a news anchor for Seoul's most popular news programs, Good Morning Seoul. She is an ambitious career woman in the broadcasting industry, has a reputation as a perfectionist, and has been working her way up to be a producer. Often puts her husband after her career, and always uses his busy schedules as the main reason that she has to spend her time in a more productive way.
Park Shinhye, is a few years younger than me, an heiress of the KBS TV station where Yumi works. She has a lot of fans on her Instagram, mostly males, because of her attractive looks and interesting posts about her jet-set life. She is practically jobless as she already born in wealth, and loves shopping very much because why not. Even though she is friendly to everyone, she always claims that she knows her boundaries, and not once ever she cheats on her husband. She just loves being loved.
Shinhye and Taejoon got married one year ago after a long term relationship started in high school. They have a sensitive issue about money, that Shinhye comes from a very rich family and Taejoon is still working his way to be an attorney by finishing his law school, preparing his bar test, and taking internship work in Gong Yoo's law firm, doing paralegal task. Shinhye loves Taejoon because of his working spirit and endless patience facing her spoiled attitude.
"Mr. Gong? Oh, God. He knows that you are going to meet his wife here but he chose to have dinner in his office?"
"Yep."
"Maybe he is just too lazy to meet me. Ah, shit. I am no longer his cheerleader," Yumi puts her head up then she looks at me with doe eyes.
"You're turning to be his mother, Yumi. You never stop mothering him," I roll my eyes to Yumi.
"Hah. He always complains about that, I am a grown man! then also him, the next seconds, will ask me, where are my socks? have you seen my wallet? where did we park? My God. I'm just doing what I do best, it's called coordinating not mothering."
"Oooh, I'm scared. The bossy news anchor soon to be producer Jung Yumi. You're even bossier than your producer," Shinhye chuckles.
"Try me, you'll lose half of your viewers just because the news anchor is not Jung Yumi."
"No, Yumi, you're good, please, don't be mad, okay? Your wrinkles are starting to show, see? You have to relax a bit, your husband is already stressed with his work and he doesn't need you to add it. We don't want him to be a client in his own firm, do we?" Shinhye pats her shoulders and giggles, still, teasing her.
I laugh at Shinhye's satire joke and Yumi pouts her lips on it. Mr. Gong is a family attorney and famous for his reputation for winning divorce cases.
"Yejin, isn't there a soon to be divorced hot man among Yoo's clients?" Yumi asks.
"Please, a married man is not my type!" I giggle.
"About to be not married anymore, Yejin, steal the start!" Shinhye jokes
"I think nobody is your type. Your date and dump, date and dump, choose one and settle down, Yejin!" Yumi lights her cigar and starts her speech.
Before she can continue her speech, I quickly say, "How can I ever be married if I keep hanging out with you, ladies? You are two married women with endless complaints about marriage life. Sorry, not interested."
"Yumi! We should match her with someone! Do you have any idea? who? who? what about Jo Insung from the Late Night News?"
"Ahh Shinhye, their schedule won't ever match! Insung works at night and Yejin gets drunk at night with us!"
"Silly!" I smack Yumi's arm. "I dress up and go on a date at night while you two stay at home with your husbands, then texting with me complaining about them, because they act so childish or forget to lift the seat up. No. No. No."
"You'll be a desperate single woman when botox can't save your wrinkles anymore," Yumi scolds.
"I won't be, I'm too glam to give a damn about men, sorry."
"Yejin! I swear I will find you a Greek God that will make you cry when he gets down on his knees. Watch me! I know some hot single guys and I will pick one for you!"
"Try me, Shinhye. I won't blink. I have my own dating list so don't bother."
"Too confident. Too confident. Let's play cupid for her!" Yumi and Shinhye wink to each other as they are planning something for me.
"Please. Don't bother. You two will turn to be busy housewives in an hour. Just take care of your jealous husbands and I will be good binge-watching drama in my flat or checking out my tinder."
"Tinder? We all know that it's just an excuse, Yejin. I know you are still seeing Jihoon! You keep swiping left."
"I see Jihoon every day, he works in the same office with me."
"Seeing, silly girl, not see!"
Ju Jihoon is an attorney in Mr. Gong's firm and my ex-boyfriend from college. He took extensive law school after the undergraduate program to be an attorney while I directly hit the job market. Busy with each other's new routine, our relationship was just floating away and finally ended. Presumably. Because he still thinks that he posses me.
I exhale, "Jihoon and I are a finished business, and I chose to finish it a long time ago."
"You and Jihoon will always be unfinished business, Taejoon told me that" Shinhye smiles teasing me.
"And after a long time, you still can't get over him that's why you immediately said yes when I offered you a job in Yoo's firm because you know that Attorney Ju Jihoon works there!" teaming up with Shinhye, Yumi teases me about my ex-boyfriend.
"I have nothing left on him that's why I chose to apply there even though I know that Jihoon works there. See, I can face my ex calmly. You two have bigger issues than me. Yumi, your husband starts to choose to take out meals rather than dinner with you, and when was the last time you get laid, huh?"
I empty my glass and continue my speech back.
"Or you too, Shinhye, you keep hiding your new shoes and bags away from your husband. Like he doesn't know that."
"I'm just trying to take care of his feelings, he is still working his way to be a lawyer, I have the money and my Dad has a TV station but he chooses to work his own career. Do you get what I mean? He can't provide for us yet but I'm totally supportive of him. I don't want to trouble him with my shopping needs, " she defends.
"You two, young ladies should have learned from me, not keep teasing me like this. Gucci and Prada ain't cheap so I have to work my ass there," Yumi resumes her speech back.
"Yumi, you have a great lawyer as your husband who owns a law firm office! You should not work that hard, start taking care of your husband, and stop being grumpy every morning in the studio, you're more grumpy than your producer."
"I'm not grumpy! I am assertive and I have been bringing Good Morning Seoul from low rating program to the most-watched news program in South Korea, thanks to this attractive news anchor here!"
"Yumi, maybe Yoo is jealous because you are too focus on your career, and you too, Shinhye, you can't stop shopping fancy bags and going out with your chaebol friends, Taejoon must be uncomfortable too," I pull my own conclusions.
"But I never cheat on Taejoon, Yejin! I'm just being friendly! I have to maintain my connections."
"I know, but how about him? Taejoon insists to work his way up and hates his attributes as the KBS's son in law. Poor Taejoon," I mumble.
"Shut up you, Yejin, I feel like Taejoon is actually ashamed to be my husband," she stares at her glass for a few seconds but quickly looks back at Yumi with lightning eyes.
"Let's get this woman a man who can conquer her, Yumi. She keeps mocking us and toying around with her lovers and we have to let her know how's it like to be married," Shinhye raises her glass and clinks it with Yumi.
"Hear hear!" I giggle and raise mine.
"Ladies," husky voice is heard from behind us.
I instantly turn my head and find a man, no, a totally hot man is standing behind us with a dimpled smile, smiling at Shinhye and Yumi.
Shinhye jumps off and gives him a hug.
"Oh my God, Bin! Long time no see! What are you doing here?" Shinhye grins at him.
"I have just finished casting on your TV. I am going to resign from my current news program and I hope that lady boss Park here is going to hire me," he smiles.
"I don't know we were holding a news anchor casting today, Yumi! Are you going to resign or my Dad has already given you a promotion?" Shinhye winks at Yumi.
"No, I cast for Good Afternoon Seoul, not the GMS the morning one," he replies.
"Oh, I thought that the team will pull Insung from the Late Night News," Shinhye raises her eyebrow and looks back at Yumi.
"No, they prefer a new fresh face for GAS. Jo Insung will stay in LNN and Hyun Bin will suit better for GAS," Yumi answers.
"So, am I hired?"
"If someone from KBS calls you tomorrow morning then yes."
"Well, I should be going now. I hope to see you tomorrow, ladies," that hot news anchor Bin bows at us and takes second glances at me, then walks away out from the bar.
"Who is that?" I ask.
"Hyun Bin, the news anchor from other TV networks, he is about to resign from the current show so I approached him to cast in the afternoon program because the current news anchor is going to take longer maternity leave and may not coming back to work," Yumi answers.
"You two look like have known him for a long time."
"Yes, Bin is not a new face in news programs world. Don't tell me that all this time you don't know that a hot mess exists? Where do you live all this time, Yejin? in a cave?" I feel a light slap on my arm from Shinhye.
"I rarely watch TV. I spend my day in the office or assisting attorneys in court, not watching TV. Really, I don't know him, and why did you call him a mess?"
"I heard that he is a playboy, and if rumors were true, then he really knows his assets and how to use it. I never know his dating history, though, it's just one of the circulating rumors between other news anchors. He is around your age, Yejin, and just like you, not the married type."
"Maybe you want to try your luck, Yejin? Check him out if he really is a playboy? I can play cupid for both of you," Yumi offers me.
"Maybe next time. I need to go back and shower soon, I have something to do," I collect my bag and put it on my shoulder.
"What? Binge-watching drama?"
"No. I have a date! Ciao!" I jump off my chair and wave goodbye.
"You need to delete that Tinder app or those boys on tinder will make you want to stay single forever!" Yumi shouts to me from her chair.
My God, I hope everybody is too drunk to hear that.
I don't tell my friends that actually I don't have a date tonight. In front of the bar, I take out my phone and open the Tinder app.
Swipe left. left. left. left.
Then a very gorgeous face pops out on my screen. Bin the news anchor I just saw moments ago with Yumi and Shinhye.
Bin, 31
1 mile away
Two truths and a lie.
I collect Starbucks tumblers from around the world. Daniel Henney is my uncle. I do 10k running every day.
I giggle reading his profile. Then I swipe right.
IT'S A MATCH! You and Bin have liked each other! You can now send him a message using your phone.
Oh, well well well, so he has swiped right on my profile too. Around a minute after, I receive a text from him.
Bin: How to speak to a beautiful woman on tinder
Bin: Oh wait this isn't google
I instantly laugh at his first chat.
Yejin: Did you just google that but mistakenly type it in the chat room?
Bin: Nah, that's just me trying to make you laugh. Am I succeed?
Yejin: Totally.
Bin: You're much prettier than your pictures.
Yejin: So saying hi to my friends was an attempt to checking me out?
Bin: I've swiped right since you walk out of the building and spotted you in the bar. Do you work across the bar?
Yejin: Yes, in the Gong Law Offices.
Bin: Are you still around the bar? I'm lining up for hotteok. Do you want one?
Yejin: Yes, please, with syrup topping.
Bin: Meet me by the KBS building in 10 minutes, you can collect your hotteok there.
Yejin: Thanks!
Bin: and your ride home
Awesome. I don't reply back. I've been warned that he is a playboy, but who wants to settle down anyway?
I slide back in the bar. I spot Yumi and Shinhye still on the table bar talking to each other. Quietly I head to the restroom to reapply my blush on and lipstick, tidy up my blouse and spray out my perfume.
I step out the restroom on my high heels, wearing my confidence smile and heading out to the KBS building. Whistles and double glances are received from men as I sway pass through them from the bar down to the street.
Ladies, Oscar de la Renta said, always walk like you have three men walking behind you.