“Tae Sung!”

Tae Sung turned his head to the direction of So Min’s voice. She was walking towards him. He had missed her. So Min waved eagerly and he waved back.

“So Min.”

So Min stopped in front of him and grabbed him in a tight hug. Seeing Tae Sung was almost as if she had never left the States early. She let go of Tae Sung and stared up at him.

“Where do you want to go first?”

“How about you recommend me where to go? It has been ages since I returned here.”

“Sure, how about we have some awesome ramen for lunch first and then we go shopping for clothes, groceries, stuff and etc. How about that, huh?”

“Fine with me,’ he replied.

“So how long are you planning to stay here this time?”

“2 months. I just finished my degree in fashion and here I am, back in Korea.”

“2 months? For real?”

“For real. Why? You don’t want me here?” Tae Sung pretended to be hurt.

So Min flung herself at Tae Sung again. “That’s awesome, Tae Sung. We’ll be the best of friends here in Korea just as it was in the States.”

“Sure, So Min.”

So Min pulled away and started walking to Doo Bak’s Ramen shop, all the while chatting happily.

Best friends.

That phrase seemed stuck in Tae Sung’s mind. He did not want to be only best friends with So Min. He wanted to be someone much more important that So Min. He had come back to Korea with a plan to court So Min, to make her his girlfriend and then propose later and live with his dream. So Min as his wife, two kids, a white picket fence of a home and the whole package; maybe throw in a dog or cat. But the word ‘Best friends’ seemed to crush his every dream. But it was okay, he would prove to So Min that he loved her.

He had loved her ever since she had quarrelled with him over a sewing machine. She had pushed him over the seat for a sewing machine and he had pushed back. They pushed each other until her professor had threatened to throw them out if they did not quit it. She then pushed him one last time and sat on the seat with an innocent smile. He had been annoyed at her behaviour. What type of girl was she? He grudgingly took another seat and sulked while she gloated over her victory. Her childlike innocence and annoying character had driven him up the wall the rest of the year but they had found themselves slowly going closer till they got to where they were today-best friends. Sometime in between their squabbles and quarrels, he had found himself falling in love with her. She had an innocence that could make the whole world smile with just a smile of hers; or make people laugh when she laughed. She was a jewel that he planned on not releasing. He wanted her as his life mate and he hoped he achieve it.

“Tae Sung! Tae Sung!”

Her voice broke through his daydream.

“What?!”

“Have you listened to a word I say for the past five minutes?” she said with a slight smile of annoyance.

“What did you say?”

“That just proves it. You have been daydreaming…again. You always daydream,” she complained.

“Sorry. So, what did you say again?”

“I asked you which ramen you would like to eat. They have octopus, stingray, crabme…” So Min continued telling Tae Sung the flavours, her annoyance at him not listening to her forgotten.

“I’ll have the octopus ramen.”

So Min signalled the waiter and placed their orders. She had ordered crabmeat ramen for herself.

“So how’s life for 2 months without me?” So Min asked, putting her hands on her lap.

“Boring. It was more fun when you were there. How’s your grandpa? You came back because he was sick, right?”

“Yeah, grandpa passed away,” said So Min sadly.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, So Min.”

Tae Sung wanted to reach out and console So Min but just as he lifted his hand to put it on her shoulder, So Min brightened up and diverted the topic.

“So, did you get into any relationships while I was back here in Korea?” she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

He wanted to tell her that there was no one except her and that he would not have a relationship with anyone that wasn’t her but he could not say that. It would frighten So Min off. Instead he said, “No, of course not. You would be jealous. How could I make you jealous?” He hoped that she would be jealous though.

“Jealous? Why would I be jealous?”

They continued their small banters, all the while catching up until their meals came and then they ate while making small talks and it continued like that till they finished their meals.

“Come on, let me pay you back,” asked So Min as Tae Sung paid.     

“No,” was the reply.

“Please… Come on Tae Sung. It was supposed to be my treat.”

“No,” he tried to hide a smile.

“Pretty please with cherry on top? Come on, at least let me pay half?”

“No, So Min and if you really consider me your best friend, you will let me pay for you.”

“No fair, you pulled the best friend card.”

Tae Sung just smiled at So Min’s childishness.

“So where to next?”

 So Min instantly brightened. “Next we go and buy clothes. I wanted to bring you to the amusement park but since it looked like it’s going to rain anytime soon, we better stay indoors. I’ll bring you to the amusement park tomorrow instead.”

Just at that moment, So Min received a call from Hyun Joong. So Min checked the caller ID and her heart gave a small flip before she answered.

“Hyun Joong,” she spoke into the phone. She signalled to Tae Sung that she was going to excuse herself for a while. Tae Sung nodded but he was burning at curiosity at who this ‘Hyun Joong’ is. Who was this Hyun Joong that when So Min answered the phone, her voice was full of affection and something that almost sounds like love? He did not want to believe that So Min could have found love so easily when she was only back for 2 and half months. He could not and did not want to believe it.

“Hyun Joong, what are you doing calling now? Aren’t you working now?” So Min said.

“Yeah, but I missed you.”

So Min’s heart fluttered at his confession. She missed him too.

“I miss you too.”

“Are you at home?” Hyun Joong asked.

“No, I’m out at the mall.”

“Oh, why?”

“Nothing much, but Tae Sung came back from the states yesterday and I am taking him on a tour around Korea as he has not been back for years.”

Tae Sung? Hyun Joong’s gut twisted. Who was this Tae Sung? So Min sounded as if they were very close. Was this So Min’s boyfriend in the States? Ex-boyfriend as she had already married him. Yet, he still could not get rid of the feeling in his chest. Was this jealousy? Could he possibly be jealous of this Tae Sung? No, he could not be, could he?

“Hyun Joong? Hyun Joong? Are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m still here. Who is this ‘Tae Sung’?”

If So Min was right, Hyun Joong sounded almost jealous. Could he be? Tae Sung signalled So Min over as he wanted to see something. So Min decided that she had to put down the phone and tend to Tae Sung first, she could always talk to Hyun Joong when he comes back from work.

“Hyun Joong? I gotta go. Tae Sung’s calling me. I’ll talk to you when you come back home, okay. Bye!”

So Min off the call and skipped to Tae Sung to see what he wanted to do.

Hyun Joong barely managed to say ‘bye’ before So Min put down the phone. He wanted to know who Tae Sung was and what his relationship to his wife was. Hyun Joong could not concentrate on his work after that call. His curiosity was killing him but he did not want to call So Min and sound like a nagging husband. At 5 in the evening sharp, he left his office. After all, it was his company now. He had to know who Tae Sung was before his curiosity killed him.