“Come over. I could use another person in the house that doesn’t drool,” Bo Mi said. “I promise I won’t use you as a nanny.”

“You’re too funny. I really wanted to see you too. I’ll be over in a few minutes,” Bo Young replied.

She had a bunch of chores to do today and surprisingly got them completed early. Finding time on her hands, she called Bo Mi on a whim. Her friend now lives in Itaweon-dong, across the river west from her.

Bo Mi settled there about a year or so ago, after getting married to Nam Chung Hee, a financial investor she met at one of the charity events Bo Young endorses. She actually had Bo Young to thank for playing matchmaker; Bo Young was so pleased to see her friend hit it off with Chung Hee, who himself is active in many charitable organizations. He happened to be a mild-mannered man, whose personality is the polar opposite of her friend's. There is such a thing as opposites attract after all, she muses, after the two started dating seriously and then getting married.

She reached Bo Mi’s house easily, even with the midday traffic in full force. The lunch crowd are out and about around this time and it took some maneuvering to finally reach her destination.

Bo Mi greeted her friend with such enthusiasm that Bo Young felt guilty not visiting her friend often.

“Here,” handing Bo Mi several bags of foods from L'Empreinte Bistro, their favorite French restaurant downtown. “I bought our usual stuff plus extra desserts for you.”

“Daebak, you are the best! Come in,” as she hugged her friend. “Let’s eat. My little brat from heaven is sleeping, so I'm free.” She said grinning.

“Is he really giving you a hard time?” Bo Young asked. “He is such a sweetheart.”

“Four months and I think he’s teething! I’m sore,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “Besides, I need grown up conversation. I love him to death but I swear my brain is turning to mush.”

Bo Mi has certainly not lost her sense of humor. She is still on her maternity break and has mentioned before about missing work while she's house bound.

“Aww, I haven’t been a good friend, not visiting you as often, have I?”

“Don’t be silly. We talk enough on the phone and I know you’ve been busy.”

They settled in the kitchen to eat,  chatting about everything and nothing as friends do. The topic finally reached Bo Young’s new drama midway through their meal.

“How did it go? I’m really curious but didn’t want to pry,” she said, scooping some more Galette au Chou, a savory baked dish with vegetables and meat and cheese.

Bo Young toyed with her food, thinking how to answer. “It was different. He is different.” She paused and looked at her friend. “He was so formal and aloof, Bo Mi. I guess I should be glad for that. It made it easier seeing him again.”

“Hmm, but somehow it bothered you. I can see it in your face.” She said, reading her friend accurately. “Did you expect it to be otherwise?”

“N-no. I didn’t really know what to expect.” Bo Young said. “It’s just… he was so cold…” her voice slowly trailed off.

She thought back to their first meeting with Pd Lee and writer Kim, how the conversations between them were stilted and awkward. They were in agreement on everything regarding the concept outlined by Ms. Kim. When they ended the meeting, he just gave everybody a bow and brief thanks and he was back chatting with Pd Lee about soccer. She didn’t linger either, but left right after the meeting.

“And the first reading was the same?” Bo Mi prompted, cutting into her reverie.

“Yes. It was. He and I hardly spoke to each other outside of the script. It wasn't unpleasant; he was politeness personified.” She paused. Bo Mi quietly waited for her friend to gather her thoughts.

After a while, Bo Young said, “He hardly looked at me.” She hated saying this, how it made her sound.

“And you know that how?” was Bo Mi’s reply. “Were you looking at him?”

Bo Young flushed and bit her lips, “No, not really. I couldn’t. It’s silly of me, isn’t it? What am I going to do? I told you about the drama, right?”

Bo Mi looked at her friend. She had known Bo Young for a very long time. She’s one of the very few who knew the history between the two. Even now, no one truly knew they had even dated during the filming of the JTBC drama nor the subsequent breakup that occurred. They were too good hiding their relationship.

“What will you do? Are you going to back out?” she asked.

“No, I can’t. I won’t.” Bo Young added stubbornly. “If he can act so nonchalantly, then I can too. It’s not like I’m expecting anything from him, right?" She looked at Bo Mi, waiting for her friend's input.

"I always felt like you two ended things in a wrong note; no real closure," Bo Mi said. "You know I'm your friend, right? I have your back. I mean I get why you had to break up, but I also can see it from his point of view, now that I'm with someone I care about."

"But what choice do I have, Bo Mi? That f******g contract bound me for 3 years! I was technically "their commodity." I couldn't pursue our relationship without negating that contract." In a much softer voice, she added, "He knew that. I told him everything."

Her friend reached a hand to grasp her arm comfortingly. "You still care about him?" 

Bo Young didn't answer immediately. She gave her friend a sad smile. "It's been 5 years. I can't be in love with him anymore. I refuse to be that pathetic. I'm Ok. He has moved on. So have I."

"Hmmm," was Bo Mi offered, noting her nonanswer. She stood and cleared the rest of the food off the table. "Come, let's eat some dessert. I can't decided if I want this creme caramel or the blue berry eclairs. Maybe I'll have both. We'll have it with some French coffee and pretend we're back holidaying in Paris." She went on to grab Bo Young's arm, and steered the conversation back to something happier to ease her friend's heavy heart. 

Bo Yong is thankful for the distraction, however temporary of a reprieve it provides.