“What are you doing?” he asked.

Namjoo slightly turned to look at him, but her eyes never sat on him. Turning away she adjusted her arms around herself.

“I miss Mi Yun,” he heard her say. “She already snores when she sleeps.”

He could detect the adoration Namjoo had for their daughter in her voice.

“She still doesn’t understand we’re divorced. She only thinks we live in different places. Sometimes she’d ask if you’re coming home for dinner,” Namjoo lowered her head and let out a breathless laugh. “She doesn’t know anything.”

Luhan stared at her back thinking about how before Mi Yun started walking she’d giggle and struggle to laugh to express the joy that was too much for her. The days where he and Namjoo used to stand side by side watching Mi Yun sleep in her cradle crawled back into his memory. Then he’d tease and ask about another baby.

“She did wait and ask for you every single day the past four weeks,” Namjoo spoke as if reminiscing to herself. “When I told her I’d come for you,” Namjoo slightly snorted and smiled at the thought, “you should have seen the smile on her face. So I’m not going back without you. No matter how difficult it’ll be, you’re going back with me.”

A car passed by; the noises of its wheels working against the concrete echoing around them. When it disappeared the silence fell in.

Namjoo had always been the first one to jump start the ship. She’d initiated their relationship when he’d been too shy to. Luhan knew she was determined to keep her promise with their daughter.

“I know,” he spoke with the knowledge that she would make it happen.

They were quiet for a long minute. Luhan hesitated wondering if he’d just annoy her with what was bothering him.

“What he did to you…are you ok?”

“Yea.”

His eyes drifted to the ground, “Don’t let anyone touch you. I don’t like it.”

Namjoo slowly turned to look at him.

Swiveling away so that she wouldn’t see his face, he grabbed the doorknob, “Lets get some sleep.”

When he woke up the next morning the spot beside him was empty. Sitting up to look around he spotted the note she’d left behind on the table.

Going for breakfast. I’ll see you later. – Namjoo

#####

Those guys were smoking outside of the restaurant again when Namjoo arrived. They shot her glances before snickering among each other. Ignoring them Namjoo slid the door open and walked in. She seated herself at a table by the wall. She was looking at the menu on the table before a person in a white dress made her look up.

A young girl was standing on the opposite side of the table quietly overlooking her. Namjoo glanced up into her fresh face assuming she was no older than 20. Her long curly hair seemed to have been well taken care of. Namjoo wondered what she was doing there. Had she taken her table by accident?

“Are you…really married?” the girl questioned.

Namjoo frowned. The young girl’s eyes drifted over to her left hand and Namjoo glanced down at her hand. There wasn’t anything wrong with her hand so why was she looking at it?

“There’s no ring,” she stated.

Namjoo’s eyelids fluttered unable to make sense of the situation.

“Are you putting on a show because you like him?”

The frown on her face grew even deeper.

“I like him, so if you’re just playing around, leave him alone.” Was what she said before turning to walk away.

Namjoo’s face contorted up and she let out an exasperated gasp. Had she just been told off for no particular reason? Was that girl mad?

Biting down on her tongue she quickly debated if she still wanted to eat there anymore. When her thoughts were at its peak she began to get up, but paused when one of the guys she’d seen smoking earlier fight with Kat.

“I told you, I have no money!” he shouted.

“That is not an excuse to order over fifty dollars’ worth of a meal and escape! You wait here, I’m going to call the cops,” Kat swiveled around to walk toward her office, but the man yanked her back by the shoulder.

Snatching the collar of her shirt he threatened, “You call the cops and I won’t let you off.”

The young girl who’d spoken with Namjoo earlier ran toward her mother.

“Leave my mom alone!” she cried trying to shake him off her mother.

Throwing his arm he shoved her away. Namjoo watched the young girl collide into the next table where a couple was eating. The dishes on the table clattered to the ground and the whole room froze. Namjoo could feel fear growing in the air.

“Tina!” her mother cried out. Turning to the man she ordered, “Let go of me! You hurt my daughter and I’ll make you pay!”

“You’ll make me pay, huh?” he taunted, the broadness of his face made him look like a wrestler in a boxing ring.

“Duen!” Kat screamed. “Call the cops! Call the cops! We have criminals in here!”

The man shoved Kat to the ground. She collided with the chair along the way and lie on the ground in pain. She was aging after all, so the pain must have been unbearable. The man turned and grabbed a fork from the neighboring table. He held the fork in mid-air, but Tina jumped onto his back to reach for fork desperately.

“Take her away! This brat!” the man muttered.

His two minions quickly stepped in to pull her off him and he turned back to the mother helplessly lying on the floor. When he started to plunge it through the air Namjoo finally shot up from her seat. Running up behind him she pressed her foot into the back of his shin and stepping on his calf wrapped her arm around his. Then pulling back with all her strength, forced him to his knees.  

Taking her foot off him she reached for the fork and tossed it to the ground. Without wasting a second she twisted his arm back and forced him to bow forward.

“Apologize!” Namjoo ordered.

She watched Kat slowly get up to her feet with much difficulty before thanking her breathlessly. The man twisted back and forth under her hold grunting in anger.

“What are you two doing!?” he screamed out to his buddies.

Namjoo turned around to watch them let go of Tina before hurrying toward her. Thinking quickly she turned to the neighboring table and grabbed the plate still filled with fried noodles. The lady eating from it was unable to say anything as Namjoo took it. Placing her hand underneath the ceramic plate Namjoo took a step forward and shoved it into one of the men’s face.

The one under her hold pushed himself up to his feet, but she quickly twisted his wrist, stepped on his calf, and elbowed him in the back of the head forcing him into his earlier position. A loud shout soared into the air as the other man ran toward her.

He was actually closing in too fast for her to think up of another tactic. So as he neared she reached her leg out kicking him in the shin. He tumbled to the ground immediately after his knee slammed the floor. The man she’d thrown the plate of noodles at regained his posture without difficulty and lifted the plate up to throw at her.

Her lips dropped apart in alarm before she ran to the side when the plate hurled through the air like a football. It flew down onto the man who’d attacked Kat and cracked before falling to the ground. An angry cry bellowed from him before he rose and pinned her to the wall; his hand wrapping around her neck.

Namjoo reached up to grab onto his wrist and stared into his face torn with rage before the door flew open and a man in a tan uniform walked in.

#####

There were several police officers outside of the restaurant when Luhan neared. Three men were being escorted out in handcuffs and Luhan paused to watch before hurrying forward in alarm. The police had just passed by when he approached and sliding the door open he heard Namjoo talking to Kat.

“Sorry about your plate,” he heard Namjoo apologize.

“No, no, don’t worry about it. Thank you so much! You saved our lives,” Kat thanked. “Eat all you want. Sit down, sit down. I’ll bring out food for you.”

She turned and halted upon seeing him. A smile quickly tainted her feet.

“You’re here! Hurry on, go sit with your wife. I’ll give you free food this morning, free food,” she welcomed.

Luhan felt her push him forward and turned to look as Kat walked off confused. Turning back with a frown he looked forward to see Namjoo seated at the corner of the room. She had a hand at the back of her neck as if rubbing something off.

“What happened?” he asked taking the stool beside her.

She looked up at him then to the menu she’d been studying, “Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing?” he interrogated. “I saw the cops outside.”

“There was an immature fight, that’s all. Happy?” she shot him an annoyed glance before turning away.

Luhan made a face at her and immediately turned when Tina walked up to give them water. He smiled and thanked her. When she walked away he heard Namjoo let out a snort.

“What?” he asked.

“Your little girlfriend, huh?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Well I guess that’s fine too.” Namjoo purposely nodded her head.

“What’s your problem?”

“Here you go!” Kat’s voice interrupted placing two large bowls in front of them along with some side dishes and rice.

Luhan stared at all the food shocked. The circular table was practically filled with dishes.

“Ah…isn’t this…too much?” Luhan asked.

“Not at all!” Kat shook her head. “I owe your wife so much. Oh! Why aren’t you two sitting closer? Couples should sit next to each other.”

“Eh?” he heard Namjoo ask.

“Oh…” Luhan awkwardly managed before quickly smiling and scooted toward Namjoo. He caught Tina’s stare from the front of the restaurant and immediately put an arm around Namjoo’s waist. “Ah…yes. She’s just a little shy. Aren’t you?”

He saw Namjoo bite onto her tongue and shoot him a warning glare as she tried to pry his hand off her waist. She let out a muffled laugh and turned to look at Kat with a fake smile all the while still struggling to push Luhan away.

“Enjoy yourselves,” Kat smiled at them before walking off and when she did Namjoo shoved him off roughly.

“What the hell did you think you were doing?” she whispered annoyed.

Ignoring her he began to pick at the food. “Lets just eat.”

Kat really didn’t let them pay even when he offered. After leaving he followed Namjoo down the road. Now that they’d both been caught by Mario once there was no point in them going off on their own. He wanted to be there in case Namjoo got in trouble still hanging onto the reasoning that Mi Yun should at least have her mother.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Sunday market.”

“You know about that?”

“We –” she began before cutting herself off. “I went there the last time I was here. Are you going to follow me all day?”

“Not like I have anything special going on,” he shrugged.

Namjoo rolled her eyes before heading down the staircase to the underground train. There were certainly a lot of people there that day. Students, men, and women who were all heading to work or school had already bought there tickets and were waiting at their specific blue or red lines. Knowing that Namjoo wouldn’t look back if they separated he made sure to keep her in front of him.

The fight against the oncoming crowd onto the train was like battling for the last fruit on sale. The people shoved relentlessly only to apologize after having done so on purpose. He reached out to grab Namjoo in case they pushed into her. They made it onto the train just a few minutes before the doors closed, but there were no more seats available so they resorted to standing by the window at the end.

Their bodies swayed along with the movement of the train and because they had nothing to hold onto it felt even more dangerous. He leaned against one wall while Namjoo leaned on the one adjacent to him and neither talked. A man standing in the middle tripped forward and Luhan quickly his arm out to cover Namjoo before he could crash into her.

He immediately apologized after falling against him, but the train swayed again and Luhan felt someone fall into him from behind. To keep his balance he fell a step forward. Namjoo immediately turned her head; her hair brushing against his neck when he collided into her. Placing arms on either side of her he moved back.

Upon glancing down to see if she was ok their eyes hesitatingly met instead. They were close, too close. There was a slight flush of embarrassment with a twinge of shyness when their eyes drifted from each other in the air. They hadn’t been intimate with each other for such a long time that it almost felt like they were teenagers embarrassed of interacting with the opposite .

When the train stopped they walked out quietly.

#####

The tented shops were all soaking with business when they arrived. All the fashion around her made her a little excited to shop. As they walked by there was someone dancing in the middle of the road; showing off so that he could get some money. There was a stout grandmother walking around without a foot moving about with an old can asking for money.

There were shops selling DVDs and movies from other countries, a coconut stand, and as she remembered a massage corner for the tired. Namjoo went from shop to shop ogling over the accessories and clothes on display never minding Luhan who followed her around.

Once the sun reached its peak in the sky and sweat trickeld down their faces she finally stopped.

“Go buy something for us to drink,” Namjoo ordered.

“Why me?”

“Because I said so.”

“No,” he refused when he turned to her. “Loser goes.”

She glanced up at him with a frown and shielded her eyes with her hand. “Fine.”

After two games of rock-paper-scissors she already lost.

“I want something cold,” he called after her when she turned to walk away.   

Grumbling to herself she walked into the food corner. Various scents of fresh food being cooked on order made her stomach cry. Perhaps she should get something to eat before bringing Luhan his cold drink. The idea of eating by herself and leaving him to starve amused her.

She passed by a few chicken stands before finally arriving at a small corner. A menu of slushy drinks was hanging overhead when she stopped in front of the white table. It hadn’t occurred to her that there was only one customer sitting at the portable blue table with just a book. The only thing that caught her attention was the ice machine plugged into the back. Looking at it made water. She was dying for something cool right at the moment.

“Hi, pretty,” a thin and tall man greeted her.

“Hi.” Namjoo smiled.

“What can I get for you?”

Namjoo tilted her head up to look at the menu before saying, “Can I get the two on the far left?”

“Right away,” he nodded at her before turning to the back and shouted an order.

She heard a blender go off behind the faded blue curtain and turned back to him when he spoke.

“You look like you could use some water in this heat,” he commented and handed her a water bottle. “It’s on me, don’t worry about it.”

“Oh no, I’m ok,” Namjoo shook her head before he forced it into her hand.

“Heat are common around here. You should hydrate yourself.” He cautioned.

Namjoo glanced at the water bottle. Honestly, she was very thirsty for water too.

“Then, I’m going to take it,” she told. “Thanks.”

She unscrewed the lid and gulped quarter of the water down before swallowing it all. Now that was certainly refreshing.

The blender stopped sounding and she felt her eyesight go hazy. Another tall man stepped out from the back with a red apron to speak to the one who’d handed her the bottle, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying even if they were right in front of her. In less than a second the bottle slipped from her hand and her head tilted back.