1997. Summer 1997. He was 15 and supposedly in a summer holiday, yet he was already asked to prepare the start of the school. Summer vacation was never funny to him, this one however appeared to be one of the worst. His father that was already quite of an absent man was suddenly literally and officially living in the office by the mid of July. He was sterner than usual, stiffer. Darker. The atmosphere was constantly heavy. He was terribly jealous of his friends and their family holidays he never had the chance to taste, but soon didn’t have any reason to as in less than 24hours three of them were repatriated. Soon he realized their home was going through the same situation. Something odd and extremely serious was happening in his home and within his family, in his friends’ families, in the chaebol family. That was the Asian economic crisis. The biggest they had to face since the war itself said the elders. It last for almost two years. A wave of suicides had invaded the companies after thousands men lost their job, their social status, their dignity. It destroyed families, lives and hope. He understood back then the weight his father had on his shoulders, how many lives depended on him, and how many lives would soon depend on his shoulders too. Was that the day he became an adult? The day he turned 15.

- 1997? He burst out of frustration his hands tensed on the wheel. – I mean seriously…what exactly did they do in 1997 I don’t get it… he said out loud and clearly waiting for an answer from the car passenger which also clearly didn’t happened – Did you hear me? Nothing. He waited for five seconds, then ten seconds, then:  – Are you ignoring me? Still Nothing. – Yah Kim Hana, What’s wrong with you?

- What’s wrong with me? She asked taken aback. - You don’t see what’s wrong…nothing looks wrong to you here?

- What? He genuinely asked and she had to look twice as she never thought he could look innocent. Yes. Innocent.

- I don’t know maybe the fact that I’m driving with my boss to Busan in the middle of the night to find my ex boyfriend? Excuse me if doesn’t seem really natural to me…

- Oh…he simply stated as realization hit him. I…I haven’t realized it would be awkward for you. He spoke after a short hesitation. She widened her eyes.

- Because it’s not for you? She asked failing to hide her disbelief.

- I never put myself in any awkward situation. If I don’t feel it, I don’t do it. He stated calmly.

- Oh…I see… she spoke not wanting to dig further given to the craziness of the conversation. – Gold…

- Excuse me?

- Gold, that’s what they gathered during the 1997 crisis, to clear the debt. They gave their gold, jewelry, diamonds everything they had…everything these women had from their ancestors…they gave…

- That’s the stupidest thing to do; it was recession they must have sold it for nothing.

- They didn’t sell it. They mortgaged it.

- To whom? He asked and she cursed in her head why did he have to be so curious.

- The…the IMF. She spoke gravely looking at him as he frowned at her few seconds before looking back at the road in disbelief. - So that our country would obtain the loan. She spoke this time while looking through the window. She had just revealed one of the biggest secrets the board had and she was happy with it. She wasn’t always on the board side and their controlling ways, the way they thought it was their right to get involve in extreme personal matters but if she was to be honest with herself, she secretly admired them. Their power, influence, will. She just couldn’t stand the fact that nobody or more specifically no man had an idea of what they were capable of. Of the fact that they save the whole country while meeting secretly with the international monetary fund risking the most precious goods they had to make sure they would go with the loan. They provided 57 billion dollars not because they trusted heartedly the country to get back on their feet but because they were bribed to. No man was aware of the existence of that secret organization. Was. Not anymore.

(…)

- Ok next time I ask you about anything regarding the board promise me to not answer… he said clearly disturbed and if I wasn’t mad at him I would’ve laughed at the sight of his ridiculous face, or pictured it. But since I couldn’t stand being on that fireball that he calls a car where he forced me to get in as I was the only one who ever rode that damn Ferrari and that he’d rather keep that list short; all I could do was ignore his shock after I’ve stupidly and quite deliberately revealed the 1997’s board actions with the IMF while looking trough the window wondering if Hana was ok with her boss, Sunny with Ki-wong and how much in love Sue was with Wooky Oppa to decide to stay with him as he was forbidden on the road trip towards Busan. How on earth things got that messy? I couldn’t get it.

- Do you want me to open the roof??? It's not raining anymore...  He said all excited like a child in front of his Christmas gifts. Except that he wasn’t a child and this was definitely not Christmas Eve.

- Huuuuuuuuuh…NO! I said pretending to think before answering categorically with my “are-you-ting-me-get-your--together-we’re-not-on-a-summer-camp-vacation” face. He looked at me quite disappointed as I kept frowning/glaring at him before rolling my eyes and looking at the opposite way.

- Do you want to listen to some music? He then asked with that “again” Christmas Eve excitement as my previous cold rejection never happened and I widened my eyes.

- No I don’t want to! I blurted out offended by his out of place “light mood”. 

- Ok… he resigned before deciding to take the exit on the highway.

- What are you doing?

- You’re not hungry?

- No I’m not-

- Well I am, and I need a coffee too. He said this time sounding more as his usual self and showing that he wasn’t trying to be nice and I wasn’t supposed to have my word on it. “Supposed”.

- Seriously what the hell is wrong with you, do you even understand what we’re doing right now? We’re running out of time and you’re acting like you’re on a road trip on road 66??? I yelled as he had already parked on the rest area of Anseong.

- Oh that’s my Muse’s favorite song…he spoke carelessly leaving the car as I widened my eyes. Wtf…well his taste of music is not bad at all, as for the level of his jokes that’s another story.

- OPPA! I made him stop on his track as I was out too following him.

- WHAT? He answered me with the same tone I used startling me a bit. I took the time to observe him for a few seconds and I felt relieved to see that he wasn’t being the scary angry bastard he could be but that he was simply annoyed by my nags. I took a breath.

- Nothing… I said resigning. We’ve been driving for almost two hours. I actually needed to pee.  

- Where are you going?

- Toilet. I answered without really paying attention to him walking my own way. Rest areas in South Korea are no joke, almost attractions as all sort of activities are made possible according to the city you’re nearby. This one was one of the most modest yet more than 10 food store and different sort of coffee shops were present. God, I hope Sunny and Ki-wong won’t make a stop. She would take forever to make up her mind. It was almost 1:30 in the morning and beside truck drivers the whole area was pretty much empty giving me a creepy feeling. Once I was done I took the opposite way so that I could get faster to the to food stores area as I assumed the manwhore would be there and regretted soon my choice as I was passing by this long wall that was covering the toilet building and some abandoned area with nothing but a empty parking lot that was leading to the huge forest of the region where weird sounds were coming out. Ok maybe that was my imagination; no I hope this was my imagination. I quicken my pace and thought my heart would drop when I heard an ahjusshi coming from nowhere (nowhere meaning the forest) calling out for me:

- Agassi…I heard him say once then twice as I was walking pretending to have not heard him. I couldn’t see anything it was way too dark and I didn’t dare to watch to be honest. – Lost your way…? He spoke again and I felt chills down in my spine, as he seemed to like the situation. What do I do now? Run! I felt like my heart was going to stop when I felt this crazy bastard running after me. I could already see it, the headline of my death making the breaking news… how huge was this rest area I felt like I was running for an eternity while the crazy man was still behind me when I finally could see the coffee shops and him looking at me with widen eyes as I screamed ‘OPPAAAAAAAAAA’ launching myself towards him with such a strength that he walked few steps aback to find back his balance. I hid my face in my arms that were enlacing his neck as I had put my legs around his waist making me look like a baby monkey holding his tree.

-  What’s wrong with you, are you ok? What the hell is going on?

- He…he’s behind me…pp….psy…psycho…let’s go out of here… I whispered incapable of doing a proper sentence.

- What? But there’s nobody behind you…

- What? I yelled pulling my head out of his neck and frowning trying to see in his eyes if he was pranking me. Maybe he was an accomplice; maybe all of this was a set up. Maybe I should get a brain check. I’m too delusional. I turned slowly around to see that indeed there was nobody behind me. I put my legs on the floor and fell my knees give up on me; fortunately I was putting all my weight in his arms that I wasn’t ready to let go of.

- See there’s nobody…I’ll go and check you stay here-

- No no no no no…I said pulling back his hand towards me as he was already walking towards the danger. – Let’s just get out of here please, please, please…

- Calm down, god look at you… your heart is beating like crazy do you want to have another panic attack?

- Are you guys ok? Spoke at the coffee shop worker as other staff slowly gathered around.

- Yes we’re fine she apparently saw someone over there following her…

- Oh yes she probably saw Im Hyun Sik… yah Hyun Sik-ah…spoke the man towards the place I came running from as the nobody else then the psycho appeared running towards us. All I could do was yell another time before hiding myself behind the manwhore.

- See I told you let’s get the hell out of here…I begged squeezing his arm.

- Don’t worry Agassi he’s not dangerous…he lives in the rest area by doing some works and is a bit crazy but he’s completely inoffensive…yah Hyun Sik ah, how many times did I tell you to not talk to girls you scare them… spoke the coffee shop man as the latter was creepily laughing not really understanding the situation.

- What the you’re laughing about you psycho-

- Oppa stop it leave him alone… I stopped him as I saw that monster living within him threatening to come out as all the staff widens their eyes at his reaction. He was ready to attack the poor man I accused of being a psycho when he was only trying to help me. I could see the contempt the staff had for him even if they hold sympathy and felt terribly sorry. How many stupid women my kind might have mistook him for a ert before me? How many people might have beaten him, insulted him, or simply ignored him.

- It’s ok don’t worry…I’m the one who overreacted… I spoke to the coffee man shop before adding to the other man. - I’m sorry ahjusshi…I got scared all for nothing…I’m really sorry…

- Overacted? You almost had a heart attack-

- Please stop it… sorry again… sorry…I bowed to everyone before leaving really really embarrassed.

(Few minutes later)

- Oh c’mon…it’s not that embarrassing…  I heard him spoke trying to not burst into a laugh and putting a latte on the table where I’ve been knocking my head on.

- I need soju…do they have soju here?

- You drink soju?

- You’re Korean?

- ‘Ha. Ha. Ha.’ very funny…we’re driving remember? I don’t think alcohol is allowed right now. He spoke wisely and I slowly raised my head.

- Wait a minute…Does it mean that I might have to drive your car? I spoke now interested as I could feel some redness on my forehead.

- Of course… what if I die? … It’s better for you to be sober if it happens…

- Yes well that means I’m not driving your car… I spoke my mood all heavy again.

- Why, you want to?

- It’s not like you would let me just if I wanted…I rolled my eyes, as he didn’t say anything but sipped on his coffee. – You would ??? I spoke all excited again.

- It depends… he said happy to have my attention.

- On what? Now I sounded like the child on Christmas Eve.

- I don’t know…maybe if you show me some aegyo…he teased and I stopped. Widened my eyes for one second and half before heartedly and unconditionally burst into a big fat and genuine laugh as something weird was going on is his head as he was frowning and smiling at the same time. He could be really hilarious. He just didn’t get it.

(…)

- Oh my god! …And so… what did you do???

- I can’t tell you…

- You’re kidding me…you can’t stop right here…not with my level of curiosity…

- You’re gonna think I’m crazy for the rest of your life…

- I’ve been thinking that you were crazy since I was 9…She genuinely stated as he couldn’t help but leave the road’s sight for few seconds to look at her before laughing.

- Right… He said resigning before adding: - well…I…I swallowed it…

- You what?

- I swallowed it…

- I don’t believe you…

- I swear…

- You swallowed your wedding ring on your wedding day?

- Yes I did…I was willing to do anything to not get married…a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g

- Oh my god…OH MY GOD…she said before bursting into a big fat laugh. She laughed so much that it was hurting her stomach. So did he. Genuinely. It was funny how her laugh was contagious. He noticed it on her wedding day already but confirmed it right away this evening as they were driving. – I…I… can’t believe it…she spoke out of breathe visualizing the groom swallowing his wedding ring.

- I’ll show you the x-ray photograph they took at the hospital I still have it…

- Oh god…she spoke catching her breath, I mean…I knew you were crazy but this…this goes beyond my imagination…

- Is that supposed to be a compliment?

- Not really…

- Thought so…

- The worst part is that you ended up marrying her anyway…

- I know…my father’s determination is quite something…

- God…arranged marriage…

- You mean forced marriage… he added to what she widened her eyes before bursting into another laugh along with him. – Thank god I’m riding with you…he spoke after they both calmed their laugh…- I can’t imagine how non-funny the other teams are… I mean Mr Ceo with his assistant are probably discussing some economic and I’m not even talking about the soon to be married couple…he added laughing as her smile faded away as he mentioned “married couple”.

- Oppa…she asked hesitantly after a moment as he frowned at her at her sudden serious tone.

- Yeah? He answered looking back at the road but sensing already what it would be about.

- You…do you…do you really think they’re gonna get married? She finally spoke out her deep thought fearing already what he would answer. He took a breath before simply answering:

- I don’t know. She felt disappointed at his answer. As the time he took would be to say something else until he added: - the only thing I’m sure of is that the answer depends, relies entirely on your friend and nobody else… he explained as she looked back at him.

- What do you mean?

- Ji-hoon’s situation is different when it comes to marriage. He…he doesn’t do Sogetings and stuff like that… him and his parents had this unofficial arrangement…he would be free to date anyone he wants-

- You mean anyone he wants…she cut his words.

- Huh yeah well I was trying to be a gentleman here…

- Please…not to me Oppa…

- BUT... he said trying to ignore her digression: - the second his mom brings up the wedding thing he won’t have any other choice but to obey…that was the deal…no word on the supposed bride, on the wedding date, on their place to live…nothing…absolutely nothing…He finished dramatically as she took a deep breath. If Gongju was the only one on whom the decision depended then she got her answer. The least to say is that she didn’t like it.