- Hana ssi?

- Hana ssi?

- HANA-YA?

- Yes sir, I’m sorry I was disturbed…she said snapping back standing from her desk where she was supposedly working. She hated that feeling. Feeling powerless. It made her feel weak and impossible to focus until she would find the solution. The fact is she didn’t even know what the problem was.

- Are you ok? He asked slightly worried.

- Yes I am, is there anything I could help you with Sir?

- You can drop that act it’s only both of us here… he stated and felt amused by the way she innocently looked around as she probably didn’t notice everyone had left.

- Oh I see…so is there anything I can help you with sir? It’s still office, even when there’s no one around. She insisted and he rolled his eyes bothered by her all time work ethic. Now he understood what some people around him including his friends blamed him for. It was simply annoying.

- Yes actually there is… but it’s personal…

- Personal?

- Yes.

- Well…ok go ahead…

- Would it be possible to give me your friend Miss Lee’s personal address without asking me why I need it?

- No, it’s impossible. Why do you need it?

- At least I tried… he said heading back to his office sending a fifteenth text to his best friend that had suddenly cut of the rescue call he gave him. With what on earth did he trouble himself again?

- Wait a second? Where you think you’re going like that? What’s going on?

-  It’s ok if you’re not giving it to me, I’ll find it easily I’m sure… it’s just that you were the quickest option…

- Of course I’m not giving it to you, even if I’m not giving to you I need to know why on earth do you need to go to her place, do … do you know something?

- Oh… so you do know something…he redirected his attention to her, now he was interested.

- I do know something… the question is what do you know?

- I know something too…but I’m not sure I’m right…so you tell me what do you know…

- Oppa…she paused taking a deep breathe showing her annoyance.

- I thought we were still in office…

- Oppa…Is…is Ju Ji Hoon ssi at her place? She asked tremely serious and anxious at his answer.

- He hung up the phone before he could finish but he clearly mentioned Amore pacific and if I’m not wrong it’s your friend who actually hung up on me…

- Oh my god… she said falling back into her chair. Oh my god… she repeated again…

- Are you ok?

- No I’m not… did he mentioned anything else?

- Yes he did.

- What?

- His parents trying to get him married with…

- Oh my god she said a last time removing her glasses and covering her face with her hands and taking a deep breath. He sat in the closest chair and let her have this moment before he could ask her what he was dying to know too. He somehow liked it. To see her like that. He found himself feeling privileged to get to see her weak moment. As he had for a moment broke the ice around her. She caught him off guard when she suddenly removed her hand and narrowed her eyes looking at him as she was trying to find an answer. ‘Would it be possible that she heard him thinking?’, he thought for a second before cursing himself for such a stupid belief.

- How… how come you’re not surprise?

- What do you mean? He asked almost relieved that she didn’t notice his wandering mind.

- By this whole set up story?!

- How come you are surprised? I mean they had a Sogeting together, Ji Hoon hasn’t done any Sogeting in years, he doesn’t do these type of things, and then the meeting, you were there… am I the only one who noticed these weird comments and assumptions…

- I know… It’s just that… it doesn’t make any sense…something might have happened between the two families, Gongju has always been promised to Lee Soohyuk, his father is extremely close to Lee Sajanim, they perfectly match on both professional and personal level…her with Samsung’s heir is completely illogical…they’re both heirs, and he’s much older…

- It’s just eight years…

- Excuse me?

- I… he cleared his throat. I mean I totally agree with you on all your points but I don’t think the age difference is really relevant here…

- It is relevant I’m afraid… she insisted quite shocked that he couldn’t see her point. - We’re not from the same rallye…

- Rallye? As rallye you mean the French custom introduced after the second world war so that privileged kids that are mostly the same age could keep on meeting in their own kind do business and marry within the same circle? We don’t have such things in Korea…

- Of course we do, it’s unofficial but we do… and maintaining the balance of it is extremely important. Adults have given birth to their children by using the same calendar so that each child could grow with the same group age all his life, have you never thought of how hilarious is it that you and your friends were born in the same year? You’re supposed to marry in the same rallye or the rally below for men when women tend to marry in the upper one. In these 8 years you were mentioning there’s at least 4 rallyes keeping us a part, transgressing so many groups is gonna make the Ajumma board freak out…

- The what? He asked chuckling at the nonsense talk she was giving him since earlier.

- Oh c’mon Oppa… seriously, where do you live? Your own mother is a real important member of it…

- My mother is a member of a charity council and education program if that’s what you mean…

- Yes, that’s what naïve human beings that I see you’re part of do believe… do you really think they meet that often and for such long hours to discuss charity and education? They’re planning your life, your wife’s life, the number of children you’re gonna have and when…

- This is ridiculous… he managed to mumble. You…you really think that…oh my lord…he paused for a few long seconds… it actually kind of make a lot of sense… how come I had no idea about it?

- Because you’re a man, this board is controlled by women and takes action through women…men are not supposed to know about it…I thought they would be smart enough to sense it but I guess I was wrong…

- Are you by any chance implying that I am stupid?

- No, I’m implying that you’re senseless… it’s different…

- I’ll pretend I’ve never heard that. Do you think this board could oppose this union?

- No of course not, the president and founder of it is Mrs. Lee herself so if she says that her granddaughter is marrying Jun’s heir no one would dare reappraise it… but that’s the weird thing, Mrs. Lee would never agree to such thing…something must have happened…

- He’s the most eligible bachelor of this whole continent, the way I see it is Mrs. Jun who would think twice before sealing that deal…

- You see it wrong… money is really far from being an argument on this case; trust me I know what I am talking about. The Lees hate SAMSUNG’s founder, they might have sympathy for the parents of your friend but I know Mr. Lee and he hates Jun sajanim…he’s always did…the way I see it it’s Mrs. Jun who set up her eyes on Gonjiu, she’s the one behind all of this…she’s the one who suggested the Sogeting and the meeting… how did she convinced Mrs. Lee, that’s what I’d kill to know…

- Dear lord…he added as his phone went off receiving a text from his friend.

- What? What’s wrong?

My grandfather is here.

He didn’t say anything but simply showed her the text he had received. She stood up and took a breath.

- Follow me…

- Where?

- You said you wanted to go to her place… I’m taking you there…

♦

My thoughts were drifting miles and miles away as formal and hypocrite talk was given, taken and given again between meals and glasses of wines that I was gladly absorbing one after one. Nothing haven’t been left from stock market, political affairs, corruption scandals, ecology, illegal immigration and of course the failure youth that haven’t experienced war consequences and anything for that record and that is good at nothing but complaining without realizing the privileged decade they were born in. Yes, when it comes to talking the matters were not missing, as for the acting part or just the will to really understand objectively the actual issues that it did involved, suddenly everyone was missing.

I was bored, annoyed, angry and slightly; slightly drunk.

Fortunately the clock hand I had my eyes on since the beginning kept on moving reminding me that eventually this ridiculous socialite play could come to an end.

- I don’t think your current drinking consumption level would be advised after what your body experienced earlier…I heard him whispering at my ear and naturally stealing my red wine glass from where he swallowed what was left from my mind teleportation tentative before putting it at his left side so I couldn’t reach it. Too bad, my favorite wine ahjusshi was actually pouring some more for the guests skipping me as my seatmate discretely indicated him to.  Ok so let me put this straight. This is my house; my living room, my table, my freaking glass and my hell of a good wine yet, yet this stranger get to speak on my name to my ahjusshi who’s been working with us for 7 years? You’ve got to be kidding me…can someone please put an end to this tragedy? – wouaouh… you’re not even fighting back… drunk already ? I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath ready to retort whatever my pitiful exhausted and drained brain had left to use when some noises from the living room drew my attention.

- Agassi, I am really sorry to disturb you…oh no please do disturb me please I’m begging you…there’s someone for you…it seems to be quite urgent…

- Who is it? Stepped in my grandmother despite ahjusshi’s discretion.

- It’s Hana ssi…

- What? I stood alarmed regretting my sudden move, as I felt dizzy and stumbled for a moment before I felt him standing next to me.

- Are you ok?

- Yes I’m fine…I stumbled for a moment but I am fine…

- You’re still stumbling…

- No I’m not…I whispered.

- That’s because I’m holding you…he whispered indicated his arm around my waist. I shivered. All of them had their eyes on me. This was officially the worst dinner ever.

- I…I need to leave…I begged him in a whisper.

- Are you ok Gongju? Spoke this time my grandfather.

- She’s fine…she’s fine Mr. Lee…I guess she’s being extra worried for her friend, if it’s ok with you I’ll go with her…

- Why ask if you’re going anyway Ji Hoon-a? Asked sarcastically my grandmother to what Mrs. Ju smiled before addressing her son.

- Yes please take care of her…

- I will…

- I am sorry I have to leave earlier than I should, it has been a pleasure to see you Mr. Mrs. Ju, Ju sajanim I-

- Don’t worry, you’ll get to see me more often, we’re family now…you can take your leave… he told solemnly as we stood there dumbfounded. We paid a small bow before leaving that piece of hell we had for dinner.