3

Chaerin find her two bestie, Dara and Bom at the Art exhibition opening, she’s been asking them to use their parents invitation to come.

“I didn’t know you like art.” Bom said.

“I do! I love Dalli, and… this Japanese artist, he’s artwork is a bomb. He even featured in Louis Vuitton collection back then, LV x Murakami.” She mumbled.

“Girl, this is Yayoi Kusama, waaay different from Takashi Murakami, fool!” Bom rolled her eyes.

“Oh, really?” Chaerin asked nonchalantly.

Suddenly she left her girls when she saw Mrs. Kwon.

“Eomu-nim.” She bowed.

“Chaerinie…” Mrs. Kwon immediately give her hug, “You’re here?”

“Yes… mom and dad couldn’t come so they asked me to come…” she lied.

“Oh busy people…” she smiled. “Oh Jiyong is here with me, where is he…”

“Hello, Chaerin-ssi.” He bowed.

“Hi.” She replied. “How’s the car? When will you go repair it?”

“Seriously, no need.” He said.

“What is it?” Mrs. Kwon looks pleased.

“Well, I kind of made Jiyong-ssi car scratched, eomu-nim.”

“Just a small one.” Jiyong added.

“But I want to pay for the repairmen.” She continued.

“Oh Chaerin is so cute…” Mrs. Kwon laughing, “let her, son, let her pay if she want it… how responsible.”

Chaerin smiling.

Suddenly Mrs. Kwon assistant came, “Ma’am here’s you Daechu-cha.” She gave Mrs. Kwon a small tea cup.

“Daechu-cha? Jujube tea?” Chaerin asked.

“You knew? Not many youngsters know what is it.” Mrs. Kwon surprised.

“I learn to make them when I live in Japan, eomu-nim, I love Japanese tea, so I tried to make it with Korean recipe.”

“How does it taste?”

“It taste so much better than common daechu-cha… I will make one for you.” Chaerin said.

Silently Jiyong watch this girl effortlessly talking to her mom, casually. Her easy going self made her look relax even in front of Mrs. Kwon, Jiyong sighed, hoping that his girl friend, Sohee, can be like this.

+

“Why are you sighing?” a man sitting beside Sohee.

She’s sitting at the small bench in front of their small house and the man is her brother, Suhan.

“Nothing, oppa…”

“Where’s you rich boyfriend?”

“Jiyong? She’s at some high end party, maybe…”

“Why don’t you go with him?” he asked.

“Me? Her mother would not allow me to get in.” Sohee scoffed. “Maybe he’s there with that blonde rich girl.”

“Who??”

“Jiyong was set on a blind date with a girl, and I saw them talking at coffee shop several days a go.”

“He’d marry that girl??”

“I don’t know oppa… on the blind date day Jiyong called me to come and introduce me to that girl, he clearly said that I’m his girl friend and he don’t want to be in an arranged marriage or so.”

“Good, you gotta keep him whatever it takes, ok??” Suhan said, “remember we have another two brothers who need food and money to go to school.”

Sohee nodded.

She’s not using Jiyong at all, when first time they met she was amazed by how Jiyong could be handsome and not a jerk at the same time. She loves Jiyong, she was even happier when she knew he’s rich, because Sohee is not even close from his level. Sohee live with her father, one older brother and two younger brothers. Her brother, Suhan is still looking for proper job, he keep asking Sohee to ask Jiyong if he has job for him but Sohee hasn’t do as he ask.

+

“Chaerin.” Dara called her.

“What?”

“You’re daebak.”

“What? Why?” she asked

“First you were screaming that Jiyong is a freak, then when you met Jiyong’s mom at the auction you were acting like seeing ghost, but now, look at you… you even running there to greet her and be extra friendly to Jiyong.” Dara mocked her.

Chaerin paused, “Well…” she thought her friend doesn’t have to know just yet the true meaning behind all her weird actions. “You know, we have to be a polite person, right? That’s all I did.”

“And what about the Jiyong is freak?” Bom asked.

Chaerin laughs, “Actually I—uh—I met him at a coffee shop several days a go… we kind of greet each other properly, he’s just—you know… normal.”

“What normal?”

“You know, he's not a bad person. well, he was act like a total bastard when we first met and i understand that it must be because his mom keep pushing him to have blind dates. if i'mm in his shoes, i'll do the same, i'd get annoyed and will be very rude to my date, but after we talked he's actually fine... and you knoe... there’s nothing wrong with being friends with somebody, right??” Chaerin defend herself.

“You’re right…” Bom nodded.

“Do you like him? Will you date him?”

“No, Dara… he has a girl—“

“We know… we know…” Dara nodded, “But looks like you and him get along better now.”

“Yeah, not bad.” Chaerin shrugged.

+

Jiyong surprised when he open the door and see Chaerin standing before him. She was looking all classy and casual as she usually. She got her hair up in ponytail, wearing casual white t-shirt and jeans. She brought a small fashionable sling bag with big paper bag in her hand.

“Oh Hi, Jiyong-ssi, I didn’t know you’ll be the one who greet me.” She grins.

“Hey… what