Summer dresses. Oh how I love them and how much I own a whole cabinet just for it… but, I don’t get to wear them a lot lately. It’s not that it’s fall or winter, we’re in the middle of Spring now and yet I still haven’t gotten rid of my usual boyish fashion.

     The company has dress codes but they do not require all female employees to wear just feminine clothes, we can wear anything we find comfortable in as long as we don’t come in wearing pajamas or slippers to work. There are a lot of times I wanted to wear a dress, but my lacking luck on my loveife is to blame. I have always reserved them for specials days and dinner dates. But I’ve not been on that sort of activity in a while.

     It’s not that I’m being rejected or that no guy has ever attempted to ask me out, I just don’t think I have the time for it – I’m too busy setting my life & keeping it on track to achieve my goal that I can’t let myself get distracted by playboys and spend much time investing effort on relationship but in the end be broken.

     Like Victoria, I too wish to just find the right guy right away, and save me from any more drama and misery. But what the hell, it seems that guy is still out there, also busy with his life – working it better – before he decides to run into me and start the greatest love story in the world.

     I’m willing to wait for him, just as long he doesn’t take too long like I’m 50 or something… I know he will come in the right time, in God’s time.

     For now, I’m just finding joy and satisfaction on lurking and secretly crushing on my boss, it’s stupid to think of my age but it’s much thrilling and less painful if you think about it. I’ve got nothing to lose.

     Thus today, after receiving a very special phone call from Donghae, I immediately stood up, freshened myself and wore one of my best sun dresses. I intentionally skipped dinner and said PASS to Chaerin’s cooking, for I don’t want to look bloated in front of Donghae… Also we’re meeting in a restaurant so I’d be guessing he’ll be buying us food?

      I couldn’t explain what I feel. Of course, I’m excited. That’s a default. But I’m still very curious on why he asked me out so suddenly at this time of the night. If earlier I was already giving up on him, and now I’m back to my foolish self.

     I quickly went to Babtol in Hongdae… And there he was already waiting for me, sitting alone in one corner with his head bobbing as he listens to the kpop song playing in the place. Keeping him company is a tall glass of iced tea and a plate of Omelette rice.

     After that unfortunate time meeting him and Buster in the street, I have not seen him in casual clothes again. There’s really a huge difference between Donghae in suit and Donghae in just plain white shirt, black track shorts and snapback.

     My heart already flutters on the sight of him, what more when he finally saw me, raised his hand and called out my name. “Dara! Here”

     I filled in my lungs with a deep breath, gathering all the courage to walk up to him and sat right across him. I wore a smile and greeted him shyly, and yet, “Ya. I’ve been waiting for 10 minutes” he greets with a cold address.

     “Uhmm… sorry sir” I apologized shortly without further explaining. I know he wouldn’t listen to my excuses anyway, and of course I can’t tell him how it took me 15 minutes in the shower again just to smell good for him. Also I can’t say how I feel super exhausted now (due to my legs being sore and yet I went to walk around Myeondong all afternoon) I don’t want him to suddenly wrap this meet up so quickly. I just got here, can I atleast have some drinks?

     “Are your legs better now? Do they still feel hurt?”

     For a moment there, I felt like this huge giant invisible bus hits me out of nowhere and got my mind all blank. I blinked my eyes several times while staring at Donghae… Wait what was that? I thought. Did he just… What? Wait…  Am I hallucinating? Hul~ Dara, you are crazy… why would you suddenly imagine like Donghae is asking about your legs… you really are hopeless.

     As I decline to believe what I thought I just heard, I turned back to Donghae and asked him again. “Sorry, I didn’t get what you said. What is it again?”

     “I said, are your legs better now? Do they still hurt?” he repeated and this time it’s all clear to me that he really did say those words and I wasn’t just imagining things, but still… it’s weird. Donghae asking about how am I? And worse… “Have you eaten? I already ordered you iced tea… Or do you like something else? Tea? Coffee?”

    I continued to look and feel lost. I really don’t know what’s going on, is this really Donghae with me? Well, I like how he’s being sweet and thoughtful and all but in any case I expected the real him, at least I expect him to say. ‘Can you not sit across me?’ or ‘Go stand up and buy me coffee’…

     But no…

     “Is this hidden camera?” I asked him with my head looking around, searching for any possible place where the camera would be.

     “Hidden camera?” Donghae repeated equally confused. Seeing his face right now, I know he isn’t kidding. I felt restless while sitting on my seat. Yesterday he kicked me out of the elevator and made me use the stairs, earlier he was about to make me do those again… and then suddenly now he’s being polite to me and asking what do I want to get?

     There’s definitely a catch in here.

     “So what else can I get you, Dara?”

     “Alright! Sir! Can we stop whatever this weird thing is going on?” I said forwardly, with a few awkward chuckles. “Let’s just be straight, and skip all this hospitality choochoos”

     “Why? Aren’t you hungry? Don’t you want to eat anything?” he asks.

     “I am. But let’s be honest here” I sighed and my shoulders lowered “You didn’t really call me out just to buy me a dinner, did you? I know there’s something else. And it’s better if you tell me now”

     “Whoa. Your seniors were really right about you. You don’t want to go around bushes… Fine” he sighs and crosses his arms as he leans back on his chair. “I have a favour to ask you…”

     I knew it.

     “Favour? What kind of favour?”

     “Yes… It’s a really huge one and I know it is best to go to you” He takes a deep breath and looks straight to my eyes. And in a deep serious voice he says…  “Dara, can you be my…”

    … Girlfriend.

     Girlfriend is the term I’m most dying to hear to come out of his mouth. I want ‘girlfriend’ to fill on that long pause, however it wasn’t.

     Instead, I heard the most unromantic word there is. Personal Interpreter Like what the hell is that? Although the word personal gives a few butterfly jitters, because it sounded as if I’m HIS. But interpreter?

     Isn’t that what my task is now?

     He explains to me his entire plan and I just sat there staring at him, watching my whole world shatter before me. My drink came and I had nothing else to do but take a long deep sip of that cold lemony iced tea to cool my head down.

     “So you like Victoria?”

     “Yes”
         Ouch.

     “And you’re going to ask Victoria out?”

     “Yes”
         Ouch.

     “And you want me to help you translating it to her?”

     “Yes”

     “And on your date, you want me to come along so I can translate things for you and her”

     “Yes”

     ‘Then after first date, you’re going to ask her out again”

     “Yes… Hopefully”

     Hearing his answers being all yeses, I already felt how much he really likes her and willing to go through