GD POV

Mamihlapinatapai (Yagán, Tierra Del Fuego, South America.)

(n) the wordless look between two people who both desire something, yet are equally reluctant to initiate

I am surprised.

You can say a lot of things about In Na noona. She’s pretty, easy going, fun, and friendly. I know, because I have said that. But for a person who seems to be an awesome best friend, what In Na noona did just now is kind of off putting, if not disappointing. To stood up your best friend after asking her to pick you up and left her in tatters like this is not what a best friend would do.

And that particular her is frozen and standing in front of me in shock and disbelief, still looking at the spot where In Na noona stood earlier. Like it or not, the air has gone terribly awkward in this studio even after all my effort to ease up our talks and finally get her to be more comfortable with me in the past 15-20 minutes. Being this close to her silence is deafening. I can feel it.

Then she turns and looks at me with a confused look and asks, “What… what was that?”

“What?” I ask her back. “Did she just left me here?” she asks me, no, more like she asks herself. “It looks like it, Ji Eun-ah,” I reply at her while smiling apologetically. “I mean… what, whoa, wait, what… what kind of human is she?” she stutters, albeit speaking bluntly, and continues, “This can’t be happening. I have no words at that.”

Thank God she, at least, speaks. “Sit, Ji Eun-ah,” I say to her while putting the gift box back to the table. She sits in one of the rolling chair next to the table.

“Ji Eun-ah, I still have few things to do here, if you don’t mind waiting, I’ll finish it in half an hour and then I can drop you at your house. Is that okay?”

“No…,”she stops for a moment and continues, “I didn’t mean to decline your offer rudely but I’ll call my manager to pick me up instead. So you, Ji Yong oppa-nim, please feel free to continue what you have to do. I’m really sorry that this needs to happen,” she says, her tone sounds angered but controllable in my ears.

“It’s fine, Ji Eun-ah. I’m just a bit, you know, taken aback at In Na noona for leaving you like this. Please wait for your manager here comfortably. Anyway, have you eaten dinner yet? Do you want some snacks? Drinks? Coffee, perhaps?” I ask.

“No… I mean, well I’m not hungry or anything so… I guess, No?” she answers uncertainly.

“Then coffee it is,” I say, not wanting to be a rude host, “It’s not fun to wait without coffee. I’ll just make you from the machine at the cafeteria. Wait a moment, okay Ji Eun-ah?” I say it while walking outside to get her coffee before she tries to stop me.

 “No, you really don’t have to…” she says. I turn back at her and say, “Please? For the sake of good company,” I smile at her and go to cafeteria without looking back at her.

When I enter the studio 5 minutes later with a cup of coffee, she is pouting her lips while calling her manager. It seems her manager is not answering her call.

Next thing I know, she calls Lee Hyun Woo, the actor, the best friend of her. I excused myself and get out of the room to go to the office to confirm few things about my endorsement, photo shoot, and some other schedules. After 20 minutes of briefing, I checked back on Ji Eun to see if Lee Hyun Woo would pick her up or not. Seeing her still pouting, I know that Lee Hyun Woo isn’t going to come for her. When she finally calls for taxi, I stopped her.

“Why don’t you just go home with me, Ji Eun-ah? I’ve finished what I had to do anyway,” I say. I think I startled her a bit.

Confused, she bits her lips and says, “Eou…..mmm….”

“Just so you know, I’m not gonna let you call a taxi. Not when there are people outside, fans, sasaeng fans, paparazzi lurking around this building. Loen might say so,” I say.

 “Isn’t having a ride with you, Ji Yong oppa-nim, makes both of us more vulnerable to, you know, paparazzi and sasaeng? Loen and YG might not agree with your idea,” she asks.

“Not when we’re in a van and my manager drives the van,” I answer her nonchalant question.

Finally she breaks a smile and a small laughter. She looks like she couldn’t think of another choice or reasons to not say yes to that.

“Okay then let’s go Ji Eun-ah. Just leave your coffee cup here. An already-cold hot coffee is not something you want to finish,” I say. Do I sound stupid?

We walk together to the van where my manager is waiting. He looks surprised. No wonder, I mean, out of a sudden I’m with Ji Eun, still bringing the gift box that I bought from home earlier this evening. I explained briefly to him that we need to drop Ji Eun