“Hello uncle!”

“So eun, where are you? Are you coming? I’ve been calling you since morning!” Ji sung tapped his watch. “Its five minute to 12, are you coming?” He repeated his question. “And why didn’t you answer my calls? Where are you? I’ve been calling your housemate but she’s not answering as well.”

So eun snorted. Of course Boa will not answer her phone, she was sure Boa was somewhere, still snuggling her date from last night. She sighed in jealousy as she was supposed to have that kind of weekend with the hunk beside her if not for her uncle.

So eun nudged at Jae rim and mouthed to him to ask him to drive faster. She pointed at her phone and whispered, “He’s mad.”

“Who’s mad? I’m not mad, if you can make it on time, like, in 4 minutes.” Ji sung peeked at his watch.

“Uncle, I’m sorry. My phone is dead, and I’m borrowing a friend’s phone to call you because I know you’d be worried. And I’m almost there.”

“Where? I cannot see you.” Ji sung stood in front of his house with his wife besides him, who mouthed to him to calm down.

“Uncle, I can see you already.”

So eun rushed out from the car soonest as Jae rim hit the break. “Auntie, how are you?” So eun hugged her tightly. “I’m fine, but I think someone is not,” the wife husband. So eun clasped her hands in front of his uncle, “I’m sorry uncle. But I make it on time, so you cannot be mad at me! But I’m still sorry for making you worry.”  

Ji sung just nodded. However, his eyes shifted to the driver seat, curiosity has taken over his anger. It has been quite a while since So eun had ever brought an opposite gender friend with her, as she always stick with her group of girlfriends. “By the way, who’s your friend? Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Jae rim, as if on cue, stepped out from his car and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Song Jae Rim.” He shook Ji sung’s hand firmly and nodded with a small smile to the wife. Bo young smiled to him and said aloud, “Great taste So eun,” while nodding in approval. So eun smiled sheepishly.

“I’m Ji sung, and this is my wife, Bo young. It’s been a while since So eun brought her friend over,” Ji sung looked at So eun and raised his eyebrows. “It’s good to see she still attracted to a guy. I thought she changed her preference.”

“Uncle!” So eun shrieked in embarrassment while Jae rim had a small laugh.

“Come in, let’s eat before the food becomes cold,” Ji sung said. So eun became frozen for a second. She could foresee grueling interview session by her uncle to Jae rim and wanted nothing of that to happen.

“Oh, sure! But Jae rim needs to leave. Right Jae rim? You said just now you had some lunch appointment.” So eun looked at Jae rim, giving signals and nodding her head through her sentence, trying to make him understand that she don’t want him to join. “Right Jae rim?”

Jae rim pretend not to understand her, “Well, the appointment was cancelled. If auntie and uncle don’t mind…” Jae rim looked at the couple earnestly, hoping them to make him stay.

“Of course, Jae rim, join us! We have plenty of room.” Bo young said.

“Yes, you’re more than welcome. Come in,” Ji sung said joyously while side glanced to So eun.

So eun pressed her lips together and she could read her uncle’s mind! She’s sure her uncle will bombard Jae rim with ridiculous questions if he were to join them. She stared hard at Jae rim, as if trying to send message through telepathy. Jae rim feigned ignorance and leisurely follow the couples’ foot step into the house, “Aren’t you coming?” He asked while smirking.

So eun glared at him while he chuckled his way to the house.

**

“So Jae rim, what do you do?” Ji sung asked.

So eun cringed in her seat. She knew the interview would happen, but she could not help but feel nervous. She had no idea who Jae rim was; he seems wealthy by the look of his house and his car, and he was smoking hot on bed. Other than that, she was clueless! Is he a bum living off his parents’ wealth? Or is he a drug dealer? Is he a head of triad of the underground? Oh my god, what if he’s from yakuza clan??? 

So eun played with her food nervously, praying in her heart he would give decent answers to whatever question her uncle going to posed.

“I’m in real estate.” So eun sighed in relief. Ok, that’s kind of normal. Puff, what was she thinking? She doesn’t even know if he was bluffing, but she don’t really care so long it will keep her uncle satisfied.

“Interesting. You look quite young but you seem quite successful?” Bo young asked curiously, given the obvious sport car he used would cost millions of dollars.

“I’m thankful. It’s always about networking and getting your customer based. Once you get hold of that, usually the customer will always come back to you and recommend you to friend and family.” Jae rim explained seriously, but truthfully, with his powers, to earn so much is just as easy as breathing.

So eun nodded in awe and giving him thumbs up, showing her relief that he managed to come up with satisfactory answer. Jae rim just smiled while Ji Sung eyes him with suspicion. He looks familiar, he said to himself.

**

“Your placed?” Jae rim asked. So eun was showing her room she used to occupied.

“Yes, I lived here after my parents died.” She could see apologetic face on his, “It’s ok, I couldn’t even remember them, I was too little. I moved out because this place is too far from my office.”

Jae rim nodded. His jumped on her bed and smiled mischievously, “Your bed?” He pulled her by her hand causing her to shriek as she felt onto his body. “Yah, what are you doing? It’s my uncle’s house!” She whispered. Jae rim turned to make him on top of So eun. “I want my pay, and my tip. You owe me a lot agashii.” Jae rim eyed for her lips but stayed still, waiting for So eun to make her move.

So eun chuckled. “I forgot, mianhee.. ”

She was about to kiss him when they heard a fake cough.

“Ehmm!”

Both of them jumped out of bed and So eun just stared down the floor in embarrassment.

Bo young laughed at the young lovebirds. “Tea is ready, unless you guys prefer other type of desert?”

So eun laughed awkwardly, “Yes, of course we like to have tea.” She linked her arm with Bo young and murmured to her ear, “Please don’t tell uncle.” Bo young nodded and gave her a small smile. “Your secret is safe with me.”