Chapter 4  A Cute Little Sister

I get a call from Seung ah, and she tells me that my boss called her, and mentioned the company proposal, the one that I was supposed to pass to Woo sung. 

I am so embarrassed, but she tells me that it's fine, and shall we meet up for dinner? I haven't had a meal with Seung ah for ages, so here I am, at this nice restaurant, and she's already seated at a table, and waiting for me when I walk in.

"I am so, so sorry," I say, even before I have sat down.

"It's fine," she waves my apologies aside. "Where's the proposal?"

I pass the white envelope to her reluctantly.

"I never thought that she would actually call you," I say.

"I didn't know that Woo sang is a shateholder in Arts Brewery," she says.

"He is the majority shareholder," I say. "Didn't he tell you?"

"I haven't spoken to him since the exhibition," she shrugs.

"Give me back that envelope," I say, but she laughs.

"Never mind, it'll give me an excuse to talk to him," she smiles, "I need to talk to him about something, anyway."

She leans forward, and her face is filled with suppressed excitement.

"I want you to meet someone," she says, and she smiles and waves at someone behind me.

I turn and look.

It's him.

He's clad in a gray tee and black pants and he's walking toward us. He has this swagger when he walks, like he doesn't care who's ahead of him, and it's like, get out of my way, or I'm going to walk all over you.

He sits between Seung ah and me.

"Jin kang, meet my boyfriend, Kim Moo young," she beams. "Moo young, this is my best friend, Yoo Jin kang."

I am so stunned that I just sit there and stare at both of them.

They are looking at me.

I clamber out of my chair clumsily, and bow awkwardly to him.

"Nice to meet you," I say. "I am Yoo Jin kang."

He smirks.

"Why are you talking as if we have just met? he says. "This is our fourth encounter."

Does he want to see me squirm in embarrassment?

Seung ah turns to me, surprised.

"Do you know each other?" she asks.

"Hardly," I say, pasting a fake smile on my face. "We met at your exhibition, and at the Arts Pub."

"The Arts Pub?" Seung ah asks.

"I was there for a blind date."

Seung ah looks excited.

"A blind date?" she squeals. "Who's the guy?"

"Oh, just some guy that my brother knows," I say, turning to Seung ah and ignoring him, though I know that he's listening to every word that I am saying, because he looks as if he's finding me amusing and enjoying my discomfiture.

"Shall we order?" I say, before Seung ah can ask more questions. "I'm starving."

Finally, the dinner is over.

My cheek muscles hurt from keeping the fake smile on my face all evening. 

"Why don't you get in?" Seung ah says. "Moo young and you live in the same neighbourhood. He could give you a lift."

He's already in the blue truck, which has ARTS BREWERY painted in red across the sides. 

"NO!" I practically shout. Seung ah looks at me in shock. "Er, I'll go home on my own."

I dash off before she can stop me.

The next morning, I cycle past the laundromat on my way to the convenience store, and do a double take; did I just see him inside?

Surreptitiously, I push my bike back a few steps with my feet, and take a peek.

It is him.

He's stretched out his long legs, and is waiting for the laundry to finish, I guess.

Or, maybe, he just likes the smell of dirty laundry.

I giggle to myself.

If I hurry, I might just catch him before he goes off.

I cycle at breakneck speed, and reach my house, grab the hoodie, and cycle back again.

My legs are killing me. Thirty-year-old legs are not cut out for such strenuous activity early in the morning.

I reach the laundromat just as he's getting up from his chair. I run in and dump the paper bag in the chair next to him.

"I want to return this to you," I say.

He peeks inside the paper bag, and says, "Keep it."

"Thanks," I say sourly, and walk off.

"You must live nearby," he calls after me, "since our neighbourhood is not that big."

"Yes, I guess so," I say, walking back awkwardly, and sitting down opposite him. 

So much for my grand exit.

Is he trying to be a friendly neighbour now, making small talk with me? Well, if he's making an effort to be pleasant, I suppose that I should, too. For Seung ah's sake.

"Aren't you seeing Seung ah today?" I ask.

"She's meeting her grandmother," he says, and just at that moment, my phone buzzes.

It's Cho rong.

"Do you want to go out with me tomorrow?" he says, sounding endearingly sweet and earnest. "It's the weekend, and we could catch a movie."

"Sure," I say. "What movie?"

"Er, Johnny English? We could catch the 7.00 pm show."

"7.00 pm show sounds fine," I say. "Which theatre? There's one near where I stay."

"I'll pick you up at your place tomorrow then, say, around 5.00 pm," he says. He sounds excited.

"Bye," I say, and look up.

He's sitting there very still, watching me.

"I guess that the official flirtation is on," he says. 

"Were you eavesdropping on me that day?" I am so mad that my voice is shaking.

"I couldn't help it; he was so loud. The whole room heard," he says, and laughs.

He peers at my face.

"Are you mad at me?" he says, and smiles. "It's not my fault that we keep running into each other, and I'm sorry if I offended you."

I narrow my eyes at him.

"What you said yesterday, that we've met four times - you're wrong, we've only met three times: once at the car park, once at the exhibition  and once at the Arts Pub."

"You're wrong," he says. "We've met four times."

"You're just saying that to get my attention," I say mutinously.

He looks at me, and the smile fades on his lips.

He leans forward, so that we are face to face.

"It was a long time ago, in another place... ," his voice trails off, and his eyes are suddenly very serious, as he looks into my eyes.

"You feel like my little sister, that I lost a long time ago..."

" ... a cute little sister, " he says softly, his eyes lingering on me.

"How old are you?" I demand rudely.

"The same age as you," he grins. "Er, how old are you, exactly?"

"That's exactly what I knew you would say," I say angrily. "That's the kind of guy that you are. You think that you can treat people any way that you want. You think that all the girls are crazy about you."

"Am I really like that?" he asks, his eyes alight with laughter.

"Well, you'd know better than me, don't you think?" I say grumpily, and get up.

I stalk off, and then I see the little ball of orange fur curled beside the front wheel of the truck parked at the kerb. The driver starts his car, and I run, as fast as I can; I have to reach the kitten before it goes under the wheel.

He sprints past me like The Flash, and scoops up the kitten just as the wheel slides backward.

The driver slams on his brakes and yells at us.

The kitten nestles quietly in Moo young's arms. It kind of reminds me of Puss in Boots from Shrek, in an emaciated kind of way.

"Are you planning to keep it?" he asks.

I shake my head.

"Are you planning to keep it?" I ask him.

He smiles, and walks away with the kitten in his arms.

He forgot the hoodie.

I grab the paper bag and yell, "You forgot your hoodie."

He turns, and says, "You keep it."

He walks away, leaving me confused, clutching the paper bag with his hoodie in my hand.