"Why do you always insist I come hangout with you when you're clearly on a date with your girlfriend?" Wang So said before draining another glass of soju. "Huh? Do you feel sorry for me?"
Baek-Ah eyed his brother resisting his impulse to smack some sense into him.
"YAH! You're the one who was complaining you were lonely. I had to change my plans with Woo Hee for you." He rolled his eyes and drained another glass of soju. "Seriously you make me crazy.
""I told her to bring a friend so you don't feel like a third wheel." Baek-Ah reassured him after his anger subsided. "Make sure you don't say anything like that in front of them!"
Wang So looked at his younger brother with envy. Despite being four years younger than himself Baek-Ah was much more grounded then Wang So. He hadn't even looked twice when he had accepted his offer for Fine Arts rather Business Administration despite their father's protests. And now he was freely enjoying his days with his girlfriend, Woo Hee without a care in the world. Life is cruel he thought to himself. But deep down Wang So knew it was because he had chosen this fate, following his fathers footsteps and taking the family business into his own hands.
"Baek-Ah?!" A familiar voice called out capturing the attention of both the men.
"Ah! Woo Hee" he pulled the girl's hand, and wrapped his arm around her waist kissing her head, before gesturing her to sit at their table. She bowed her head to So as she took her seat and called onto the friend, she had brought along. So almost choked on his drink as he watched Ha Jin walk towards them.
Ha Jin seemed to be equally shocked when she So, halting with wide eyes.
"Ha Jin-ah?" Wang So seemed to be dumbfounded.
"Wang So-yah?"
It seemed to be awhile, they started at each other, stunned before they were effectively interrupted . "You two know each-other? Baek-Ah and Woo Hee asked at the same time.
"Yes she works at the museum" Wang So said.
If Baek-Ah was unconvinced he didn't let it appear so because he quickly changed the subject directing his attention to Woo Hee.
"What do you want to eat Woo Hee? Fried squid or fried octopus?"
"You choose, oppa" she flirted playfully.
"Hmm, no you? Yeobo"
"Aigoo, you two do realize you're in public?" Wang So interjected. "And you're sitting at table with two other people?" All of them erupted in laughter and conversation began to flourish.
"How's Yeon Hwa doing? She must be making preparations for the wedding?" Woo Hee inquired looking at So, while placing a piece of fried squid in her mouth. An awkward silence filled the atmosphere, and Woo Hee looked at both the men suspiciously. Wang So shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I haven't spoken to her after our engagement."
"Hyung is just a bit shy" Baek ah laughed unconvincingly trying to cover up for his brother.
Wang So's eyes shifted to Ha Jin and she seemed to look equally uncomfortable. She hadn't spoken much, throughout their conversation. The event from a few days ago was still fresh in her mind. They hadn't spoken after that, mostly because he was always in his office but the few times they had seen each other from across the hall at work, he had pretended he hadn't seen her and instead made it seem he was in a deep conversation with his assistants.
She must have zoned out of the conversation because Woo Hee was calling her name and looking exceptionally nervous.
"Are you all right? You haven't even touched your food."
"I don't really have much of an appetite", she said absently twisting her ramen noodles with a fork.
"Yah, if you keep looking down at your food, how will you find a boyfriend?" Baek-Ah added jokingly. "You have to open your eyes, Ha Jinah there's so many eligible bachelors who are genuinely good people, forget about that jerk." This time his voice was itched with concern for his girlfriend's friend.
"Love is in the air." He added smugly. "Don't settle on the past."
After a while, Woo Hee and Baek-Ah left to catch a movie leaving Ha Jin and Wang So behind. Ha Jin wondered if it would be rude to excuse herself as well, finding the atmosphere awkward without her two friends childish bickering.
"Baek-Ah mentioned something about the past? Did you have your heart broken?" Wang So asked watching Ha Jin intently.
She wondered what the consequences of sharing her past with her current boss would be. Would he look at her through a new lens? Pity her? "My ex boyfriend was a jerk. She swallowed her glass of soju quickly avoiding his intense gaze. I used to work at a local makeup store, before I started working at the Museum, applying makeup. And my best friend… well I taught her how to apply make-up and she seduced my boyfriend."
"Im sorry to hear that" he said in a small voice hardly audible.
"Don't be." She said, her voice turning harsher than expected. "They deserve one another"
"What are you going to do about your engagement?" she blurted before she could stop herself. But to her surprise he seemed relaxed answering her question.
"I don't really have a choice. Her family has strong alliances and my father insists that their corporations will benefit ours."
"Do you even know each other?"
Wang So paused thoughtfully before answering. "We were family friends even before I was born. Our fathers were business partners, and we met during family events, weddings, Christmas parties and such. But I don't even remember speaking to insists she remembers me ever since we were young, honestly I don't know." He rubbed his temple with his palm. "She knows I'm not interested in her so she's been seducing me ever since we agreed on our engagement"
Wang So registered how Ha Jin uncomfortably shifted in her seat and realized it would have been best to keep the last comment to himself. "I'm sorry; you can tell I don't have many people I can talk to." Wang So smiled sadly. "There's Baek Ah but as you can see he's fully invested in his girlfriend."
Ha Jin laughed, grateful that Baek-Ah was their ground, someone they were both equally comfortable with. "He's always devoted to anything he starts"
Ha Jin had finally excused herself that night, deliberately lying about having promised to meet another friend, when in reality she just wanted to be in the safety of her home. She felt uneasy about lying to him after their genuine conversation. Thinking back on their conversation she felt uncomfortable and a sense of fear took over.
It frightened her, how easily she was able to him about the hurt and pain from her past and how easily he had told her about the reality he lived in. She didn't trust herself, anymore. She knew her past had left her wrecked and vulnerable and she didn't want to run into the arms of safety. But despite her efforts, her heart had fluttered when he had leaned across to fasten her seat belt and had somersaulted when he had asked for her number.
Was this infatuation?
