"He's okay."

She doesn't know why but she wants her friends to like Jiyong but it didn't happen. They know that he doesn't have a stable job. So naturally her friends interrogate him when they got the chance.

She wants to feel embarrassed to Jiyong since his parents didn’t bombard her with questions like what her friends are doing right now. She can’t stop them either because when they introduced their boyfriends she did the same thing.

Maybe girl friends were stricter than parents. They know each other for a long time now and they treat each other as family. She understands that they only like the best for her.

“Just okay?” she asks.

“Look, he’s sweet and wonderful and funny guy…but there’s a glitch. He is a bum. Maybe you could convince him to get a job.”

“He has job.”

“What he does is not a job, Dara. He has sidelines.”

“But we’re not getting married, so it would not be fair of me to ask him to get a job. It’s his life and that’s not my business anymore.

“What if he asks you to marry him? Would you?

“No.” She immediately answers the question without thinking. She doesn’t know much about Jiyong and she doesn’t see herself together with him for the rest of her life. “Anyway, I have to go. He’s waiting for me in the car outside.”

They had a practice today that’s why she was able to introduce Jiyong to them. She asked him if it’s okay to meet them and he agreed. He told her that he needs to do something before the meeting so he will just meet me at the rehearsal. She didn’t ask him about his whereabouts because she doesn’t to give him the idea that she wants to invade his privacy or something.

She wants him to know that whatever he does before he met her won’t change now that they are having a baby. They are together this past few days because he was not busy and he wants to accompany her.

She must admit that she was happy whenever they are together. He was fun to be with. They went to malls to check baby stuffs and she thinks Jiyong is more excited than her to buy things for their baby. It shows that he wants to have a daughter. Every time they see baby shops he always insist to buy things that will match to her and their “baby girl”. She just laugh at him because for her it’s not practical to buy stuff this early.

When she opens the door she saw Jiyong smiling at her. And she smiled at him too.

“Did I pass? I’m sure you talked about me.”

“Yes, you passed.”

“Really? They liked a bum like me? He was smiling so she can’t tell if he was serious. That’s what she noticed about him he doesn’t seem to mind being a bummer. “What did they say?”

“That you are sweet and funny.”

“And a bum?”

She stared at him intensely.” You seem amused?”

“Not really. It’s just that I am tired of people judging me just because I don’t have decent job. I have plans. It’s just that sometimes it’s exasperating to explain my plans to people. Let’s leave it like that.”

She didn’t say anything after that. She just looked at the book that she bought earlier actually she already had a copy before but somebody borrow it and didn’t return. She book is interesting, that what reviews states.

“Do you like this book?”

“I haven’t read it yet.”

“It’s my favorite book, I wrote it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, the one and one book that was published under my name. It happens before the accident.”

“Why did you stop writing? The ideas stop pouring?”

“Yeah.”

“I bet the royalties are still pouring in?”

“Probably, but they go to a charitable institution. I thought things will never change since I already started writing so I give them all the royalties.”

“You can make another story again, I’m sure of it.”

“You know you remind me of my father. He said the same thing to me. He didn’t lose his faith in me. I still try to write and I think I really can’t stop trying.”

She holds his hands and squeezes it. She understood now why he didn’t look for a decent job. He was searching for the drive that he lost. She could imagine how hard it is for him. It’s not easy to find yourself in the middle of busy environment.

“I guess I would keep writing even at work.”

“Work?”

“I told you that I have an appointment for I came here right? I went to the office. My brother doesn’t have a choice but hire me again. I’m going to be a daddy soon and my child doesn’t deserve an out-of-job daddy.”

She was speechless and she doesn’t know how to react with the news. What will be the right attitude to situation like this? It was totally unexpected she wanted to cry.

“Are you sure about that decision?”

He squeezed my hands and smile.” Of course I want to give my baby all the pretty things she would need and likes. How can I pay for all those things if I don’t have a decent job?”

“But you really don’t have to – “

“No,Dara, I have to.” He smile again and kiss her hand.

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