“You ordered cream pasta pizza for Suzy? How cute!” Mrs Choi smiled. “I’ve known you for a month yet you never ordered me any cream pasta!” Hyuna accused Jonghun her eyes narrowing into slits. If Suzy was around Kim Hyuna might as well be non-existent. For Jonghun & now it seems for his entire family & high school friend too. “What does she have that I don’t?” Hyuna glared at Suzy who looked like a cat on a hot tin roof.

“I’m sorry Hyuna but I thought you don’t like cream pasta. Didn’t you tell me you were lactose intolerant?” Jonghun answered back. Hyuna’s mouth opened & closed. He was right. She was lactose intolerant but still.. he could have just asked her. It was the thought that counted.

“Dino.. This is my girlfriend Hyuna. Maybe next time you can whip up some of your crayfish pasta for her.” Jonghun tried to ease the tension between him & Hyuna with that comment. “It would be my pleasure. Jonghun is a great guy. Hang onto him.” Dino told Hyuna with a nod.

“I already plan on doing that.” Hyuna said without missing a beat. “I really don’t want to pull the ‘I told you so’ card right now but I can’t help it.” Hongki whispered under his breath. Suzy agreed with him silently.

“So.. Dino.. What specialities are you going to whip up for us today?” Mr Choi expertly changed the topic & Suzy shot him a grateful smile. If looks could kill then she would probably be six feet under the ground from the way Hyuna was eyeing her.

“I’ve got the perfect dishes for you guys..” Dino started listing out all the specialities of the house & Jonghun sighed in relief. Things weren’t really looking up for him that day. He was heartbroken, was breaking Hyuna’s heart & maybe had also hurt Suzy in the process. “Why is life suddenly so complicated?” he muttered under his breath.

Half an hour later the group were seated at their table tucking into a variety of mouth watering Western & Italian dishes. “This fish & chips are excellent. I’ve never tasted such crispy tasty fries anywhere else.” Mr Choi crunched into a piece of the fries that came along with the dish.

“My crayfish pasta is not half bad either. I wonder if Dino grows his own crayfish. It’s so delicious!” Mrs Choi spoke in the midst of breaking open the shell of the humungous crayfish on top of her tomato sauce laced linguine. “We’ve got no complaints with our food as well.” Suzy chimed in from where she was sharing an extra large cream pasta pizza with Hongki.

“You should know. You’ve been eating that pizza for god knows how long.” Hyuna looked at Suzy pointedly. Suzy fell silent & looked away unable to meet the accusing light behind Hyuna’s eyes. “Stop it will you? Enjoy your crayfish pasta.” Jonghun muttered under his breath to Hyuna.

“Why should I stop? You asked me to be your girlfriend yet once I said yes all I have been getting in return is hurt & comparisons with Suzy. No one likes me.” Hyuna picked at her pasta listlessly. Jonghun himself had no appetite.

On one hand he was upset that Suzy had decided to tag along with his family outing with Hongki. Her presence alone was causing him misery & seeing her with Hongki happily eating the cream pasta pizza that he was supposed to eat with her wasn’t helping either. On the other hand Hyuna’s constant complaining about Suzy & her presence was only making Jonghun annoyed with her.

It wasn’t Hyuna’s fault but it still didn’t stop Jonghun’s irritation at her from flaring up. “Son.. Why aren’t you eating? I thought you loved Dino’s seafood baked rice?” Mrs Choi looked up from her pasta. “I’m not feeling very good Mom. I feel quite queasy in my stomach.” Jonghun replied.

“Maybe some medicine would help.. Let me call Dino to ask for some ENO.” Mr Choi stood up from his seat but Jonghun stopped him. “No, no. That is not necessary. I’ll eat.” He told his concerned father. “Are you sure?” Mr Choi asked again. “Yes. I am.” Jonghun took a large spoonful of his baked rice & forced it down his throat with a huge fake smile.

“Psst.. Can’t you see that the only medicine he needs is right there?” Mrs Choi kicked her husband on the shin. “Ow. Stop being so violent dear.. I get it.” Mr Choi glared at his wife.

“So Suzy.. How is the ad film business going?” Mr Choi asked trying to make conversation. “It is pretty tough to survive Mr Choi. We have to be ahead of our competitors at least five steps if we want to remain number one.” Suzy put down her pizza & explained the situation to Mr Choi. “That is now my problem to handle.” Jonghun said immediately after Suzy stopped speaking.

“Why is that?” Mrs Choi wanted to know. “Because Suzy has tendered in her resignation to me & she is leaving for London in a month’s time.” Jonghun said bitterly. Mr & Mrs Choi’s exchanged gazes again. “Suzy is leaving? Why didn’t we know about this?” Mrs Choi’s expression was of perpetual disbelief. “Because she just tendered in her resignation yesterday.” Jonghun said his gaze intense.

Suzy felt the intensity of his gaze & stared at her half-eaten pizza slice to avoid it. “What? You’re leaving? We just got to meet you & you’re leaving?” the forlorn expression on the faces of Jonghun’s parents was like a knife aimed straight at Hyuna’s heart. “Guess it’s obvious they like her more than me.” Hyuna stabbed the crayfish in her pasta viciously.

“I’m sorry Mr & Mrs Choi that I only have very little time left to spend with you two before I leave for London. Maybe you both should come to my cafe. We have the best mocha lattes.” Suzy said proudly. “But my cafe has the best biscotti.” Hongki grinned. “Yes yes. I already admitted you have the best biscotti.” Suzy replied. “Great. We are now bonding over biscotti.” Jonghun rolled his eyes.

Everyone at the table turned to look at him. “You should take baking lessons son. Then you can also bond over biscotti.” Mr Choi shrugged. “Okay! Shall we order dessert? Chocolate ice cream pie anyone?” Mrs Choi waved the menu with an awkward smile. “Yes please. I love chocolate ice-cream.” Suzy smiled.

“You love anything that you can eat.” Hyuna retorted. Suzy didn’t answer. The last thing she wanted to do was get into an argument with Hyuna. “And that’s what makes Suzy special.” Hongki patted Suzy’s knee to reassure her.

“Guys.. It’s 8pm. The dance floor is now officially open for 2 hours. You can play any songs you like from the jukebox & no one here will stop you if you choose to dance.” Dino spoke into a handheld mike amidst applause from the patrons of the restaurant. “Hear that honey. They even have a dance floor. Let me go pick out a song.” Mr Choi went to the jukebox.

“Your father remains young at heart. He even signed us up for tango lessons. “Mrs Choi giggled watching her husband dancing slightly as he picked out the song for them. “You guys make such a cute couple.” Suzy said. Hongki agreed. “Well it wasn’t all easy for us at the beginning. We both were in love but were too proud to admit it to each other. Jonghun’s dad however never gave up on me.” Suzy was envious of the love she saw shining in Mrs Choi’s eyes.

She wished that she could share that sort of deep lasting love with someone in the future. “He must really love you then.” Suzy said rather dreamily. “He still does. He tells me everyday how much he loves me. It might seem corny to some people but I like it that my husband does that.” Mrs Choi watched Mr Choi walking towards them her eyes b with love.

“Come darling.. Let’s dance.” Mr Choi held out his hand to his wife. She took it instantly & the group watched the couple starting to dance to an upbeat Spanish song. “They are so cute!” Suzy giggled.

“Can you imagine us like that 20 years from now?” Hyuna looked at Jonghun her eyes hopeful. Jonghun nodded not daring to tell Hyuna that he could imagine himself in his father’s position 20 years from then but the woman with him was not her. It was Suzy.

“Do you want to dance?” Hongki asked Suzy when Mr & Mrs Choi returned to the table their faces flushed red with excitement. “Wow.. What a workout that was!” Mr Choi clapped. “I can’t really dance. Two left feet sized 250mm.” Suzy pointed at her sneaker clad feet.

“It’s alright. I’ve got two left feet sized 280mm.” Hongki held out his own feet. Unable to refuse him any more Suzy agreed with the condition that Hongki wouldn’t hold it against her if she stepped on his feet. “What song shall we dance to?” Hongki peered into the jukebox to flip through the book of songs available. “Your choice but no blues please.” Suzy told him.

“Why not?” Hongki asked. “Because..” Suzy’s voice trailed off as she recalled the night with Jonghun in the hotel room where he had seduced her utterly with a blues tune. “Never mind.. I’ll just choose a dance tune.” Hongki finally made his choice. The thumping rhythm of the popular trance club mix filled the speakers & echoed through the restaurant.

Suzy watched Hongki as he displayed his dance skills by imitating a robot. “Wow.. I didn’t know you could dance like that!” She clapped when she spotted Hongki doing the moonwalk with ease. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me. I’ll keep surprising you every time.” Hongki pulled a Frank Sinatra move earning whistles & claps from Jonghun’s parents.

Suzy spotted the sour looks on Jonghun’s & Hyuna’s faces & stopped clapping. They both looked like they were attending a funeral. Suzy realised that Jonghun had barely said two words & Hyuna was deathly quiet too. “Did I ruin their evening?” Suzy flushed guiltily.

“What’s wrong?” Hongki asked grabbing her hand & pulling her towards him to dance. Even though Hongki was warm, funny & sweet Suzy realised that he wasn’t Jonghun. He didn’t make her shiver with his touch, didn’t make her laugh till her tummy ached, didn’t make her want to tear her out at the intensity of her feelings for him.

“Would you like to dance?” Hyuna heard someone whisper to her. She turned around hopefully to Jonghun but he however sat in his place rooted there like a statue. “Not him. Me.” Hyuna turned to her other side to find Dino smiling at her. “I thought no one would ever ask me.” She sighed sadly.

“A beautiful woman like you not having the confidence in yourself.” Dino scoffed in disbelief. “”No one here thinks I’m beautiful.” She answered dejectedly playing with the tablecloth. “I do.” Dino said & held out his hand. Hyuna grabbed it & happily headed towards the dance floor.

“Why didn’t you ask her to dance?” Mr Choi took a seat beside Jonghun. “Dino already asked her.” Jonghun replied gulping down his wine in one shot. “Easy on the wine son.” Mr Choi gently removed the glass from Jonghun’s grasp.

“And I wasn’t talking about Hyuna. I was talking about Suzy.” Mr Choi grabbed his own wine glass & downed it in one gulp.