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Chapter 5

JinYoung started seeing MiRa. Very regularly.

Mark wasn't sure what to think or feel about it, at first. He had agreed to JinYoung's plan to get his mother off his back and, even though it was hard for Mark to admit, it seemed to be working. MiRa and JinYoung only had to meet once a week for an hour or two, take some pictures that made it appear as though they were on a date, and that would basically be it until next time. MiRa had been pressured into blind dates just as JinYoung had been, so cooperating was helping her as much as it was him. The pressure from both sets of marriage-hungry parents had all but stopped, while they let the "couple" get on with their "dating". Couples have been known to date for years before marrying, so this solution seemed the best for the time being and could save them aggravation for, even years, it seemed.

But, things started happening that unnerved Mark.

"Doesn't she look cute in this one?"

"She looks great in that hat, don't you think? I think she's a hat-person. Not everyone can wear hats and look good in them."

"She was so funny? We laughed so hard people started staring..."

"You should have heard her at karaoke. She has a really great voice. She promised to show me a couple of her songs next time..."

At first, when JinYoung would come home from his "dates" with MiRa, he would just talk about what they did and it never sounded very interesting: it was clear that he was only following the plan.

But lately, after every date he'd started this increasingly weird commentary. It was as though he'd started actually liking her. And not just as a friendly acquaintance.

Could it be possible that JinYoung had really started liking her, liking her?

When she turned up at the property one day unannounced, Mark felt more than a little dumbfounded.

"Was JinYoung expecting you?" Mark asked after the two had exchanged greetings.

"No, I just thought I would surprise him. You're his partner, Mark, right?"

Partner? Did JinYoung mention their relationship to her? He wouldn't have. She must have meant business partner. Right?

"Yes, we own the place together," Mark answered carefully.

"He's told me so much about you, I almost feel as though I know you. Friends since university, right? It must be nice to be able to work with your best friend."

Mark nodded. "Yes. It is." After a pause, he added, "So, he wasn't expecting you?"

"No," MiRa smiled. "I thought I would kidnap him so he would take some time out to play. I brought some lunch for a picnic. He looked a little tired the last time I saw him," MiRa remarked.

Mark just looked at her. After everything he'd heard from JinYoung, he couldn't help sizing her up. She wasn't anything like he'd expected. Even though she'd looked cute on the photos, her style wasn't really that cute at all. It was as if she had dressed the way she would be expected to look to JinYoung's mother, but that the way she was dressed now was closer to her own sense of style. She was dressed casually, in a white top, overalls and sneakers. Somehow, though, she made even this simple ensemble look great. Mark was also surprised by her voice. He had expected something a little more high-pitched, but her voice was lower than he'd expected. It made her sound mature and, to be honest, a little y. Mark knew JinYoung had a weakness for smoky-sounding voices. He only had to put a little bass in his voice when he called JinYoung "baby" and he was immediately all his for the night.

Mark wondered how she'd sounded when she'd begged JinYoung to buy her a handbag that time. Her voice didn't sound like the type that could carry off aegyo. Then again, when Mark and JinYoung unleashed their aegyo on each other, their own voices could get surprisingly high.

"Well, I'm sorry, but JinYoung isn't on-site at the moment. He'll be gone all day," Mark informed her.

"Oh," MiRa said looking down disappointedly. "I tried to call him, but his phone was off. I guess I shouldn't have just dropped by unannounced."

"He'll have his phone off most of the day since he has meetings, but he checks in pretty regularly. I'll tell him you stopped by," Mark offered.

"O-kay..." MiRa said. She was just about to turn and walk away when Mark suddenly stopped her.

"Wait. You're here already and I'm sure you made a nice lunch. I know you didn't come here to see me and I would just be a replacement, but maybe we could eat together if you want to? I don't think JinYoung would want me to just send you away after all the effort you made to surprise him. I can show you around the place, as well, if you want. You haven't seen it yet, have you?"

MiRa's face brightened. "I would really like that. It would be nice to get to know such a good friend of JinYoung's." She leaned in conspiratorily. "He always seems like such a goody-two-shoes, but you've known each other so long, that I'm sure you could dish all the dirt on him," she laughed. "But, you're not too busy are you?"

"I just have to make a call or two and then I'm all yours."

*                                 *                                 *                                 *                                 *

JinYoung was surprised, to say the least, when he phoned Mark that afternoon and found out that he was with MiRa.

"You're having a what?"

"A picnic. MiRa brought it to surprise you, but I guess I reaped the benefits. Too bad you're not here. It's delicious," Mark teased.

"Having picnics while I'm here working my hind-end off. I see the way it is now."

"You're just jealous because it's me here and not you," Mark taunted. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Oh, you've finally decided to ask. No, I haven't," JinYoung admitted.

"Oh..." Mark felt bad. He didn't like when JinYoung skipped meals. "Please eat soon. When are you going to be finished?" he asked worriedly.

His concerned tone didn't escape MiRa's notice.

"I'm phoning you from the car now. And before you start, I'm parked, so I'm not phoning while I drive, worrywart," he said affectionately. Mark always worried about him a little when he was on the road, even if he didn't often mention it.  "I'll be heading out on my way to eat something before my next appointment. Don't worry, baby," JinYoung soothed.

It's a good thing we're not on speaker phone... Mark thought.

"Okay, just be sure you eat lots. And that whatever you eat is healthy," Mark insisted.

"I will. Put MiRa on will you? I want to apologize."

Mark wanted to ask 'for what?' she's the one who showed up unexpectedly, but instead, he just handed her the phone.

"Oppa!"

Wait, did she just call his Jinnie, 'Oppa'?!

*                                 *                                 *                                 *                                 *

After lunch, Mark showed her around the entire property and, much to his chagrin, he discovered she had a good eye. She could recognize the special touches they'd added about the place and really seemed able to appreciate them. She noticed their choices of plants outside, which ones were hardy and good for the environment. She noticed the designs Mark had specially created inside the buildings. She even noticed the choices of creams and lotions in the salon area, that they were non-animal tested and made from natural, chiefly local, ingredients. Even in the kitchen she asked about the suppliers and looked pleased when she found out they too were local. She also noticed the menu was seasonal. At the end of it all, Mark had to admit that to be interested in such details, she was more than a little discerning and surprisingly...cool.

It wasn't all sunshine and roses though. There were times when she would brag: about her father's company or where she had been, and what she had seen, tasted or bought. Mark also noticed that she seemed a little haughty when she addressed some of the staff members, particularly the women. And once they'd left the room, she would sometimes make an unkind remark or two, "Should she really be doing facials? A person's skin is their calling card for those sorts of services. And hers looked a bit rough. And that steamroom attendant...I think she could stand to lose a few kilos."

During those moments Mark would wonder how a person could be so deep and shallow at the same time. MiRa was certainly an enigma.

*                                 *                                 *                                 *                                 *

"I don't get her," Mark told JinYoung that night they cleared away the dinner dishes. "I mean, one minute, she's all about the environment and local produce and practically a design expert and the next she's obnoxious, thoughtless and bragging."

"Yeah, I've noticed that, too. I think I've worked it out, though. I figure it's a battle between the real MiRa and what her parents keep doing to her. How many trips to the dark side did she make today?"

"About four. No, five. I think."

"Well, then I'd guess she went shopping with her mother about four days ago. They usually spend the whole day together buying stuff she probably won't wear more than once, going to luncheon at some shi-shi restaurant where they get their asses kissed, and then it'll be off to get pampered at some upscale salon, complete with more -kissing. Finally, it's home to dear ol' dad to put on a fashion show, so he can see where all his money went, before he takes his two "girls" out for dinner at yet another shi-shi restaurant where they'll be served yet more unlimited quantities of -kissing."

"You seem to know a lot about it," Mark mused as he packed the leftovers away.

"We have to do something on our 'dates'. We talk a lot about her parents. I think she sort of uses our meetings, in part, as sort of therapy sessions," JinYoung said as he plunged their dishes into a sink full of soapy water.

"You ought to be careful then. Many a patient has been known to fall in love with their therapist."

"I'm too professional to let something like that happen," JinYoung boasted, walking over to Mark and giving him a back hug.

"Hey! Your gloves are all wet and soapy!"

"I knooooow..." chuckled JinYoung.

*                                 *                                 *                                 *                                 *

Mark waited until JinYoung was in the shower before he opened his contact list and pressed a number.

"Hey, can I come over Friday night? JinYoung will be out."

"Sure. What time?"

"Around seven?"

"Okay, see you then."

*                                 *                                 *                                 *                                 *

"So, how are things going between you and MiRa?" JinYoung's mother asked.

"Pretty well," he smiled.

"I thought as much. I've seen your pictures online."

"Mom, are you stalking me?"

"Don't be silly; a mother can't stalk her own son. But, this is the first time you've posted any pictures of a girl, right? MiRa must be pretty special," his mother remarked.

The pictures online were a sore point between himself and Mark right now. JinYoung had created a whole new account just to post pictures of himself and MiRa, knowing that his mother would look for some. He had been right, it seemed. The worst part for Mark was that JinYoung used his real name on that profile: his usual account had been created using a pseudonym so that his mother wouldn't be able to find him. Their friends sometimes wrote pretty obvious remarks about him and Mark and their relationship, and he didn't want his mother stumbling across those.

With JinYoung posting pictures of himself and Mira under his real name, while hiding his life with him, Mark couldn't help but to feel hurt.

"So, when do I get to meet her?" Jinyoung's mother queried.

"Not for a while, we're not that far along, yet," said JinYoung.

"But, if things keep going well... . I mean, you two are close, aren't you?" she asked.

"What do you mean by 'close', Eomma?" JinYoung questioned in voice laced with suspicion.

"You know what I mean by 'close'. You know, kissing and things."

"Eomma, no!" JinYoung exclaimed. "Could you please not? I don't want to talk about those kinds of things with my mother," he said.

When did the conversation move into this direction? Ick! This couldn't be happening...

"To be honest, I can't imagine how you two can get any privacy. With her living at home and you living with Mark, I mean. I hope he has the decency to at least leave for the night when she visits," JinYoung's mother lectured.

"He doesn't have to because she doesn't come over."

"She doesn't come over? Why not? Don't tell me you PDA all over the street! I didn't raise you like that JinYoung!"

How does his mother know about PDA?

"You don't use PDA like that, Eomma. And no, we don't do that outside," JinYoung assured her.

"Well, if you don't do it inside and you don't do it outside, where do you do it?"

"We don't do "it" anywhere," JinYoung sighed. "I don't believe I'm even answering these questions..."

"Why shouldn't you? I'm your mother."

"Exactly."

JinYoung's mother reached across the table and took his hands into hers. She looked into his eyes with a mixture of understanding and concern.

Uh-oh, he thought.

"Son, I've been thinking about this and wasn't sure how to raise the subject. I'm not trying to tell you what to do or anything, but..."

Famous last words, JinYoung thought wryly. Here it comes...

"...well...don't you think it's time you got a place of your own? I know you and Mark have roomed together for a long time, so you feel accustomed to it, but...if you can't even bring your girlfriend home so that the two of you can spend some time alone together.... I mean, just think of how she must feel. This can't be good for your relationship. But, I'm thinking of Mark, too. He must feel uncomfortable knowing that he's getting in the way. Why don't you just move out? You don't have to live on the property, do you? Anyway, if you feel that you have to be nearby, there are some really nice flats only a five-minute drive from the hotel."

"You've checked, haven't you?"

JinYoung's mother ignored the question and continued on, "Maybe Mark has been wanting to raise the subject himself, but feels like he can't. You should bring it up. Just be diplomatic and explain the problem. I'm sure he will understand and really, it would be the best for everybody involved."

JinYoung sighed. "Mark doesn't get in the way, because I haven't wanted to bring MiRa to my home, yet. Do you think you could maybe try not to rush things? We like each other. We're dating. So, could you just ease off a bit?"

JinYoung's mother could see that he was beginning to feel a little exasperated, so she decided to drop it. After all, he was going in the right direction, wasn't he? If she wanted that to continue, she knew she had to be careful not to make him feel pressured. He could be stubborn if she pushed too hard, so she would have to back off.

For now.

But after this conversation, she was undoubtedly sure of one thing.

If her JinYoung was ever going to move forward; if he was ever to get a chance to have a happy future with a family of his own, things would certainly have to change.

Mark would definitely have to go.

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