2: If He has a New Baby, So Will I
Winning Bom All Over Again----
Flashback
“Let’s break up, Bom.”
“What? O-oppa, you’re kidding, right?” Bom asked helplessly. “Was it something I did?”
“We just don’t belong together.” Hyun Bin sighed as she whimpered. “You’re no fun anymore. I don’t enjoy being with you.”
“I-I can change!” Bom pleaded desperately, looking at him as she cried.
“See, this is why I don’t like you. You’re too easy.” Hyun Bin said casually. This break up didn’t mean anything to him at all. “Stop crying, you’re embarrassing me.”
Bom heard those words one too many times, from one too many boyfriends. The pattern had always been the same: boys would chase her for her blessedly perfect beauty, but would end up throwing her away after a month or two because she was too easy. She was embarrassing. She was pathetic.
“Stop texting me. “ Hyun Bin concluded as he left the café.
-----
It was a year after the divorce, and Bom was finally back in Korea. For a while she was in America to stay with her family. Unfortunately, her work as a fashion designer did not permit for her to stay any longer.
That was okay. It HAD been a year. Bom was ready to go back. Bom was ready to start over.
“Bommie, I won’t be able to fetch you today. Boss is making me go to this site at Busan for the venue of the next fashion show. I’m so sorry!” John Park, Bom’s friend and work colleague, speedily said. “I know you’re going to be pissed but I’ll treat you to all the beef you want, okay? I’m really sorry Bommie, I’ll call you later!”
“Tch!” Bom exclaimed, putting the phone down. She was mad at John not because he ditched her, but because of the fact that he had forgotten: her favorite food was corn! Not beef! How dare he treat her to something she didn’t even like to eat!
Now she had more pressing worries. How was she supposed to go to Seoul? Airport cabs are expensive! Not to mention that she was wearing a white dress! Does he know how difficult it is to ride public transportation in white and not get stain on it?
So much for starting over.
-----
“Thank you for making it all the way to Incheon for this project, Mr. Choi.” Jo In-Sung, a local contractor, had said appreciatively, bowing politely at Seung-hyun. “No one really likes developing around here because it’s near the airport.”
“The place will make a good investment; I’m surprised no one has tried.” Seung-hyun replied, loosening his red tie. He took pictures of the bare land, which was only kilometers away from the bustling Incheon airport.
-----
Flashback
They say that when you’ve met the love of your life you…. No, Seung-hyun couldn’t even remember the saying. He merely stood at the entrance of the café, stunned at the porcelain skinned girl who wept for who knows what reason. She looked so breath taking, even though she tried to hide her tears behind her long black locks. The tall guy found himself gawking before realizing that it was time to find a seat.
“What’s an angel doing here, crying?” Seung-hyun asked himself, meaning every word he said.
-----
“Such a hassle.” Seung-hyun mumbled to himself as he placed both his hands into his pockets. He had to admit, the property he oversaw was a perfect site for development; but when he gets his hands on the designs he’ll make d@mn sure the parking was spot on. Right now, there was nothing but gravel and unpaved land. There was no space to park sensibly, so he had to make do with leaving his car at the airport parking area—a good two kilometers away.
He was trudging back to the parking area when he heard a screeching noise which could be recognized faintly as an angry ajumma.
As she spoke loudly, Seung-hyun could slowly make out the voice. He was so sure he’d heard the voice before.
“What do you mean there are no taxis now? How could that be?” the woman was shouting at the taxi bay coordinator. “I just came in from a twelve hour flight, you’re telling me I have to wait another two hours to get to Seoul in this expensive transportation?!”
“I’m sorry ajumma, there was an accident in downtown Seoul where the taxi terminal that services us is. If you can just wait a little longer, we can arrange a free ride for you afterwards.”
“AJUMMA?” she screamed, obviously mad at the name calling.
Seung-hyun’s heart thumped as though the gods from Olympus had stepped on it. His heart beat twice, thrice faster as he walked closer and made out the features of the angry woman at the taxi bay.
He definitely recognized those sleepy eyes which were always colored darkly with eyeliner, that voluptuous body he always covered up in fear of ogling men, those long legs that he never wanted to be bare (and yet they were now?!) those plump lips that he wouldn’t forget to meet before sleeping at night.
He smiled giddily at the sight; tears forming in his eyes. The moment was perfect. Finally, his prayers were answered. His ajumma was back.
“Yah! I’m only 29 you pabo how can you call me an ajumma?!” Bom furiously asked the taxi bay coordinator, who was in the verge of tears after her constant berating for the past twenty minutes.
“I-I’m so sorry this wasn’t expected ma’m…” the coordinator uttered weakly. Even the other waiting passengers pitied the coordinator; but Bom stood mercilessly.
“Don’t you have protocols for—“
“Park Bom, stop bullying the poor boy.” Seung-hyun said; the first words he said to Bom ever since the separation.
For a moment, Seung-hyun thought he saw her happy to see him.
“S-seung-hyun.” Bom greeted, gaining her composure.
“You seem to need a ride. I have a car.” Seung-hyun offered; silently praying that she would say yes.
Bom looked at him strangely. How he was there at the same time as she was didn’t even enter her mind. What was definite to her was that ex’s are never supposed to see each other. Remember that kids.
“No, it’s okay. I can wait.” Bom replied briefly.
“But ma’m, you said you….”
Bom shot the taxi coordinator glares.
“Come on, aren’t we civil?” Seung-hyun turned his back to her, reminding Bom of the last words she told him. He headed to the direction of the parking area. The guy walked slowly to his car, trying to make it seem natural to Bom that he was wiping streaks of tears falling down on his face.
-----
Flashback
Seung-hyun continued to gawk at her. An ajumma occasionally reprimanded him, but he didn’t seem to care because the angel wouldn’t stop crying. It had been hours, though. The café was nearing its close. Would she just stay there and suddenly disappear?
With one heavy sigh, he carried his (third cup) of coffee, and headed to the counter. He wanted to wait for her to get up and leave before he did— he just felt that he had to. But he had to leave, so he stood up defeatedly and headed for the door.
Bom also felt the need to go. She was still crying pathetically, but could feel the ajumma’s eyes darted at her. She rose up in the same instance that Seung-hyun passed by her table, causing him to spill whatever was left of the coffee onto her pearly white dress.
“I’m sorry!” Bom exclaimed, bowing profusely. How she found herself apologizing despite being the person with coffee all over her white dress was just how Bom was.
He didn’t know what to say. Seung-hyun was speechless. He was supposed to be the one saying sorry right? But the words that came out of his mouth were terribly unexpected. “I-I’ll never make you cry!”
----
It took a while to convince Bom that it was safe to ride with her ex-husband. But given that she had to be at the fashion house before noon, and it seemed that divine intervention had stopped all public transportation that day from making its way to the airport, she obliged.
Seung-hyun handled the steering wheel cheerfully. What were the odds, right? He glanced at Bom from time to time, realizing that she still had that silent, cold exterior from when they last met. That’s okay, she still looked ethereal to him. He was still completely blissful for the fact that she’s back.
Meanwhile, Bom seated awkwardly next to Seung-hyun, who was driving gleefully on the road. He seemed totally fine being with her, so why was she so uncomfortable?
As he drove, his phone rang audibly from his pocket. He got the phone and saw that it was his favorite little cousin, Ha-yi on the other line. Seung-hyun got his headset and answered the phone call.
“OPPA!” Ha-yi screamed loudly, causing Seung-hyun to flinch. “Is my wallet there? It’s pink and heart shaped. I think I left it at your car when you treated me to Lotte world last Saturday. Dad’s going to kill me!”
“Aigoo, so forgetful.” Seung-hyun commented happily. He was still on cloud nine, apparently. “Wait, I’m driving…. Bom can you check for a pink wallet? My baby’s getting hysterical.”
“Oh… Okay.” Bom forced an agreement.
“My… baby?” she thought suspiciously, searching the back seat of the car. “Tsk, it’s only been a year and he already found someone to replace me?! This guy, chincha.”
“Bom? Is Bom unnie with you?!” Ha-yi inquired, her voice seemed expectant.
“Yeah. Why? Are you jealous that I’m with another girl?” Seung-hyun replied teasingly, unaware that he was sending all the wrong messages to Bom. “Don’t worry, you’ll still be number one in my heart.”
“Yah, who wants to be number one in your heart?” Ha-yi asked. “Omo, you finally found her?!”
“Aigoo, Seung-hyun. You seemed to have gotten yourself a clingy girlfriend.” Bom commented as she grabbed a pink wallet. “Seung-hyun, is this the one?”
Seung-hyun looked at the object Bom held and nodded. He grasped the wallet nonchalantly, unmoving as their fingers touched at the gesture. “Baby, your wallet’s here. I have to hang up now, but I’m meeting with your dad later so I’ll just give it back to you when we meet if…”
“What the heck?! Not even a flinch at our first touch in years?!” Bom thought assumingly. She then realized how irrelevant her thoughts were. “What a lame ex-husband this guy is! Totally different from the dramas I’ve watched.”
“If what?!” Ha-yi moaned. His cousin was always playful with her.
“Well I need a kiss first!” Seung-hyun laughed at the poor adolescent. He was secretly doing handstands and jumping off the cliff when Bom’s fingers brushed his, but he had to contain his happiness so he diverted his attention on Ha-yi’s embarrassing kissing encounter with her classmate, Seung-yoon. “The one like….”
“STOP STOP STOP! I’M HANGING UP.” Ha-yi stopped him, and hung up on the phone.
Seung-hyun grinned contentedly and asked Bom, “so where to?”
“At the nearest bus stop. I can take care of myself from there.” Bom answered. She didn’t know why she was suddenly so annoyed to be with Seung-hyun. She just wanted to get out of that car as soon as possible.
“With all your luggages? No seriously, my meeting’s not until the afternoon, I can drop you by wherever.” Seung-hyun said, trying to fish out Bom’s new address. He had prayed that she would want to be dropped off at her home. But knowing her work address wasn’t that bad either. It was a win-win situation either way. “It’s not bothersome to me.”
“But it is TO ME.” Bom snapped, regretting as she did. “I mean, I don’t like taking up people’s time, even if you say you’re not busy and all.”
“Aish, still stubborn as before.” Seung-hyun commented, glad that she hasn’t changed as much. “You sure haven’t changed that much, Bommie.”
“What?! I’m nothing like before!” Bom exclaimed hard-headedly. “Yah, Seung-hyun, don’t you dare call me Bommie. It’s inappropriate.”
“Okay, PARK BOM.” Seung-hyun enunciated her name clearly. “Prove that you’re nothing like before.”
“How?”
“Let me take you to wherever you need to go.” Seung-hyun said. Checkmate. “And don’t complain.”
“Alright, take me to Seoul then!” Bom exclaimed, raising her hands to the air. “My apartment, quickly. Hurry up because afterwards I need to meet someone for work.”
Seemed like both Seung-hyun’s prayers were answered. He stared at her giddily, noticing that she awkwardly tucked in her hair behind her ears, just like she often did when she was nervous.
“You…” Seung-hyun gazed at her, not noticing a car that was speedily changing lanes towards theirs.
“TABI!” Bom shouted alarmingly, holding the steering wheel tightly, and turning it to the side to avoid collision. The car they were driving swerved to the side, and the force of this sudden change of lanes caused Seung-hyun to hit the window with his head. Thank the heavens there were no other cars beside them.
In the middle of getting mildly hurt, the first thing that made Seung-hyun’s eyes widen was, ”she called me Tabi.”
“Bom…” Seung-hyun uttered, looking dead serious at Bom while he pulled his car over.
“What, are you hurt?!” Bom asked worriedly, checking his face for cuts and bruises. “Does your head hurt? Why do you have to drive so carelessly!”
She touched his forehead carefully, moving his chocolate brown hair to the side. “There seems to be no external injury though.”
“Bom.” Seung-hyun repeated, his expression not changing. He held Bom’s hand.
“W-what?”
“When you touch me like this!” he started; trying to suppress a smile as he said it in falsetto, to the tune of Celine Dion’s song. “When you hold me like that! It was gone with the wind but it’s all coming back to me~”
“YAH.” Bom angrily exclaimed; grabbing her hand away from Seung-hyun’s clasp. She too formed a smile somewhere in her furiousness. “Try singing more and I swear I’ll punch you in the face!”
Seung-hyun burst in laughter. It’s been so long since Bom threatened to punch him in the face. When she was still his wife, she said that a lot. “Like I said, you never changed.”
-----
“SURPRISE!” John exclaimed, operating the party poppers while their other co-workers, CL and Dara, ogled at the sight of Seung-hyun. They’ve never met him before, despite the fact that he’d been Bom’s husband for four years.
“OMO!” Bom jumped, completely ignorant of the surprise they held for her. So this is Busan? The reason why she had to endure a ride with her ex-husband while he made a call with his new girlfriend? She was going to kill John, but for now she had better plans.
“Baby! Thanks for the surprise!” Bom exclaimed, loud enough for Seung-hyun to hear. She embraced John mechanically, whispering to his ear. “You better act like a man, arrasou?”
“Bommie, you know I’m not into you. I’m into him!” John whispered back while admiring Seung-hyun, whose eyes seemed to turn dark at Bom’s mention of baby. The stare only made John’s gaydar more excited. “He’s so fine girl, if all taxi drivers were like this I’d go to the airport everyday.”
“Shut up!” Bom continued to whisper, they seemed to linger in the embrace which made Seung-hyun irritated. He looked away. “I’ll kill you if you don’t act the way I want to.”
Dara and CL seemed to have gotten the message.
“O-okay, Bommie. No need to be all violent.” John calmed her down.
“Bom, I’ll go now. I think he can take you to work.” Seung-hyun uttered with his low, annoyed voice.
“Yeah, Seung-hyun, baby can take me to work. You take care now!” Bom added fuel to the fire, but somehow felt strangely at Seung-hyun’s sudden change of behavior. What? She wasn’t going to let Seung-hyun be happy with his new relationship while she was still… single. No way was she going to allow him to mock when he finds out.
Seung-hyun turned away, nodding to say goodbye.
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