I sighed softly, sitting at my desk waiting for lunch break to come. My boss, a Korean named Im Yong-soo, had promised to take me out for lunch. It isn't much, considering how long we have known each other (and how many times we've gotten wasted together). My Hungarian friend, Elizabeta, has known him longer than me though. She always talks about how he was in love with a young man. The young man disappeared and it broke Yong's heart. She says he used to be over-exuberant and slightly perverted, but when the man left… He quieted down. He started doing his work and stopped talking to some of his former friends. And that's when I met him. Elizabeta says when he first met me, everything looked up. I was perfect for him in every which way. She thought, by the way he talked, that he had fallen in love with me. But instead we had become like siblings. He was so protective of me, and I looked up to him. Elizabeta thinks it will end badly.
"You don't know who that man was to him. We're trying to protect you both by not telling you. You're the best thing that ever happened to Yong. And if you get scared away…" and she always trails off their. It truly makes me wonder.
I was interrupted by the bang of a door and I looked up. What looked like two Chinese women entered the room. Upon further observation I found it was actually a man and a woman.
"May I help you," I asked sweetly. The man balked and stared at me.
"Ah, yes. I need to speak to Im Yong-soo. Immediately."
I blinked and muttered, "How rude," under my breath. Then I pressed a button on the speaker into Yong's office. "Yong, sweetie, there are two Chinese people here for you."
Laughter erupted from the machine, until a disgruntled, "Ask their names, Honey." I giggled at him. It was normal for us to do this kind of thing in front of people I didn't know. I looked up at the two Chinese with a smile and happily noticed their distaste. I cocked an eyebrow.
"Oh," said the young woman. "I'm Wang Mei, and this is my brother Wang Yao."
"Alright then," I smirked and pressed the button again. "Wang Mei and Wang Yao."
There was a pause for a moment, and in a shaky voice he said, "Show them in please." I paled. Where was the confident young man I knew? These people obviously posed a threat to me. I looked up at them worriedly, but stood up and motioned for me to follow them to his office. I opened its mahogany door, the one I always would open when I was worried, and rapped softly on it.
"Yong?"
"Ah, Lee, they are here," he asked, just as pale as me. I nodded and stood aside as they entered. Yong motioned for me to go back to my desk. I managed to make it to the vicinity before my trembling legs gave out and I let out a small whimper. I needed my inhaler, but it was in my desk drawer. I started gasping for air as the door opened again. It didn't seem in a hurry until the person spotted me, and then they rushed over, slamming the door. I felt strong arms lift me onto my desk chair. As the person started to rifle through my desk looking for my inhaler I noticed it was another Asian male. He turned to me and lifted the inhaler to my mouth. I couldn't see his face very well, but breathing was all that mattered. I slowly inhaled it and my breathing returned to normal.
"Gamsa," I said wearily as he took the inhaler away from my mouth. My eyes focused on his face, and for a moment all I could notice is that, while the rest of his face was blank, his eyebrows had shot up in amusement and his eyes seemed to be laughing. "What," I asked quietly. He gave a small chuckle.
"I would have never thought you would speak Korean. Even if you are a secretary to a Korean." I blinked a few times and blushed.
"It's actually what I studied in college." He nodded and stood up, revealing he was nearly exactly Yong's height. And then I finally found why I was so comfortable around him. He had Yong's face. "You look like…"
"Like your boss? Yes, that's because I'm his brother."
"But he never mentioned," I started. I was interrupted by a door crashing open and the three Asians who had been inside the office all storming out yelling at each other in Chinese. The young man's face fell.
"Well, it seems he's busy. I'll just sneak out. I'll be back tomorrow, around this same time. Maybe you can make me an appointment," he said smiling at me as he managed to get through the door without them noticing. I blinked a few time and took out the appointment book and noted the time.
"Are you three done yet," I asked quietly as I filled it out. All three turned and stared at me. Suddenly it dawned on Yong he had promised to take me to lunch.
"Oh damn it, I'm sooo sorry Lee!"
"Don't worry about it," I said dismissively.
"No, no, I've got to make it up to you!"
"I'm alright."
"We can go tomorrow."
"Fat chance. You have a meeting scheduled."
"I what?" All this time, I noticed the two Chinese were looking at us like we were a married couple.
"We're not married or even dating for that matter," I said directly to them. It was amusing as they spooked over getting caught.
"Then why," the male tried to ask, but I stopped him.
"He's like my big brother. And sometimes you just have to take care of them," I said as I kicked said man in the shin.
"So who's the meeting with," Yong said while trying to not squeal about the pain in his shin as I chuckled.
"Why should I know?"
"You're holding the appointment book."
"There's no name listed."
"You always list names."
"Actually I never list names."
"What? Then how to you remember everybody?"
I sighed and turned to him. "Yong, haven't you noticed that most people who come to see you are quite… Memorable." I motioned to the two Chinese. The two seemed slightly taken aback.
"I mean, even when I first met that Hungarian friend of yours," I said, getting slightly shaken at the thought.
"She's your friend too."
"She was your friend first."
"Wait," interjected Yao. "Are you talking about Elizabeta?"
"You know her," I asked quietly.
"Yes, we work in the same field."
"Wait, so you're the Chinese with a taste for Russian she's always drooling about?"
"Wha-what," he stuttered. And then the girl in question made her grand entrance, her boyfriend, Gilbert, trailing behind her, his bird on his head.
"Hello dearies," she sang.
"Elizabeta," the rest of us deadpanned as she laughed.
"Hi Yao, Mei, Yong, Lee!"
I grinned at my best friend as Gil gave me a kiss on each cheek in greeting. "Good to see my favorite German and Hungarian."
"And who would those be," they asked innocently at the same time. I just rolled my eyes.
"Crazy day as always," I groaned. And that's when Yong noticed my inhaler.
"Did you have an attack," he asked, worried. All of them turned to me. My three friends stared at me. And that was the subject of the drama for the rest of the day.
