Chapter Twenty:

There are many ways to announce that you are pregnant. You can stop drinking alcohol and watch as many question your decision. You can announce it on social media with a witty picture such as baking a bun in the oven. Other times, you tell the news to one person and watch them tell others this new piece of information.

And that is what has happened in the office. I requested some time off work just before the baby is due and after the baby is born and by the end of the day, the entire office knew about it.

‘Congratulations,’ Minki cheered as we walked out of the office for the day. The both of us caught the subway today and were walking to the same station. ‘I didn’t know that you had a partner.’

And that’s when I realised that I hadn’t known Minki for that long after all. He’s never met Minhyun or known of my marriage. But somehow it feels like I’ve known him for a while now.

‘I don’t, well not anymore.’ I replied to the boy with a confused and puzzled look, ‘the baby is my ex’s. ‘ I explained.

‘Oh, I see. So Sungwoon said it’s a baby boy?’ He asked quickly diverting the conversation away from the identity of the father.

‘Yeah, I’m having a little boy.’ I nodded.

‘I think you should name him Minki, just after the most amazing person you’ve ever worked with and just an overall fabulous person.’ He laughed.

‘A fabulous person named Minki? I don’t think I’ve met one yet,’ I joked with him.

It’s nice having someone around who you can joke, laugh and smile with. A friend who doesn’t know who you used to be – someone who doesn’t know how complicated things can really be.

‘Well you are staring at one,’ he snapped his fingers, diva and sassy like,’please open your eyes to the world around you and notice the fabulousness that is me’ he laughed, pointing at himself.
‘Just on a side note, where are we at with those case files?’ Minki asked referring to the case files we found last time.

‘Well when I spoke to Chaeyeon, she said that she kept her license active that’s why they would use her name. She also thinks that the other branches may be affected. I’ve been reaching out to see if others have the same case as well,’ I informed him.

‘Who knew the industry could be so corrupt, I guess?’ he sighed.

‘There’s corruption everywhere in life, Minki. It’s just if you can recognise it or not.’ I sound like an old lady don’t I? But like greatness all around us, there is corruption and unfairness as well – it’s all about perspective. Open your eyes to the world around, not just the world you want to see.

‘When did you become so bitter?’ He joked.

‘I think right after you called yourself the most amazing person,’ I laughed in return.

I’ve been trying to call in some favours from other branches to check if they had some strange cases like ours. From the people I’ve called, there haven’t been any cases like ours so far. But you never know, maybe you just have to dig deeper.

The airport is a place for painful goodbyes, sweet hellos and empty ‘see you soon’s. The airport often sees relationships being solidified or being completely broken and shattered into million pieces. Once you are pass clearance, there isn’t any turning back. Once the plane is in the air, you can’t just change your mind. Eventually the plane will return to its starting place but that doesn’t mean that the person you are hoping for will be on it.

‘Make sure you call me heaps, okay?’ I instructed my younger brother who fiddled with his lock on his small suitcase. Sooner is better than later, Daehwi had decided. After that visit from mother, Dae