case 02

chapter 23: new year, old loves

“Jesus,” Jungwoo panted, flopping onto the bench and gasping for air, “I’m so unfit.”

Jungwoo looked like he had just braved through a triathlon against an ensemble of well-adorned Olympians, instead of two laps around an empty racetrack with five of his middle-aged college buddies. But none of them bothered – Jungwoo had always been one to make mountains out of molehills.

Seulgi only managed to take a small sip of water before Jungwoo stole the bottle away. “That’s why you should go running with Jaehyun when he asks,” Seulgi retorted.

He handed an empty bottle back to a miffed, but amused Seulgi. “You don’t either.”

“I do, you’re just too busy snoring to realize that I’ve left the house.” Seulgi stuck her tongue out at him which Jungwoo, unsurprisingly, reciprocated.

“Whatever. At least I’m not as as that fool.”

He angled his chin towards Wendy, who staggered and stumbled, nearly collapsing into a heap at Jungwoo’s feet. She took a timely turn, diving straight into Jungwoo’s lap. The latter yelped, squealing like he’d just been attacked by a boar.

“Get off!” he huffed, trying to push Wendy off him.

But the girl wasn’t about to budge. The bench was too hard, and Jungwoo’s thighs, albeit being rather thin, were better than the cold metal. “No,” she wheezed.

“Go to Yuta or something!”

“No thanks,” she replied, putting an arm over her face to shield herself from the scintillating morning sun. “I don’t want to be a trash dump for his pencil droppings. What a nerd.”

Seulgi and Jungwoo turned simultaneously, finding Yuta perched on another bench with a sketchbook on his knee, drawing frenetically. Seulgi wasn’t sure how a wedding dress designer would be inspired at a dirty, sweaty stadium, but Wendy had a point.

“Look who’s talking, Wendy Son,” Yuta replied coolly, without taking his eyes off his sketches. “I could triple your laps in half your time.”

Wendy sat up straight. She always had the ability of magically forgetting her exhaustion in the face of a petty fight. Against Kim Jungwoo or Nakamoto Yuta, especially. “Excuse me?” she blustered.

Yuta waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t bother with me. Just make it your New Year’s Resolution to be only five times slower than those two.”

Seulgi cast her eyes on Yuta’s referenced “two”, who were still taking swift and sturdy laps around the track. Johnny had the power of his long limbs while Jaehyun relied on his unwavering stamina – they matched each other’s pace, persevering relentlessly like they were runners on a 500 meter sprint. It also didn’t help that Jaehyun was in a ripped tee, his well-defined muscles glistening with sweat and suffusing Seulgi’s cheeks with a rosy pink.

“Oh yeah,” Jungwoo said, thankfully interrupting Seulgi’s mind before it could start conjuring up the wrong kind of thoughts, “what are we going to do for New Year’s?”

“What?” Seulgi was taken aback. She did a mental count of the dates, the realization hitting her a beat too late. “Oh my god, New Year’s is next week!”

“We should have a party!” Wendy clapped her hands excitedly.

“But where?”

“Not our place,” Jungwoo said immediately. He threw Wendy a spiteful little look. “I’m not having that tosspot on my carpet.”

Wendy took an angry bite at his thigh, sending Jungwoo squealing. “We’re not using ours,” Yuta called. “I have a bunch of dress samples that I want to keep clean.”

“Well, you guys are such annoying s.” Wendy threw her hands in the air. Jungwoo was curled up behind Seulgi, using her as a human shield against Wendy. “We actually can’t use mine, because Mark’s already told me he wants to have a party there with his dance friends.”

Seulgi shrugged. “Maybe we can book out a restaurant or something?”

“Sure, but–“ An idea dawned on Wendy. She knew someone with a nice place. A nice, big place. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “I know just the place.”

“Where?”

“We can go to–“

“Hey! Slowpokes!” Johnny yelled across the track. “Last one to the car buys lunch!”

All talk about the party ceased within less than a second. They tore across the stadium, running and screaming like a bunch of teenagers so broke they couldn’t afford to buy themselves lunch.

Seulgi tilted her head, hearing a satisfying ‘crack’. The day already felt long and difficult, though it being a Monday morning meant she had the rest of the week to go. But she usually wasn’t that petty. The day, or at least, the earlier part of the day, had been rather difficult.

An hour before, Johnny and Seulgi had walked Victoria out of the office for what was the last time after a mostly tame, peaceful mediation session. Even the usually spritely Johnny had been dragging his feet, trying to prolong the moment. Part of him was still doubtful – after all, he’d taken the side of someone who was willfully going down Irene’s path. If anyone was having a tough day, it was Johnny Suh.

“Thank you,” Victoria had said, smiling gratefully at them both. She swept them into a warm hug, and they both clung on more tightly than they thought they would.

When they finally pulled away, Seulgi could tell Johnny was holding back tears. “Come back and visit from time to time.”

“I will,” Victoria had promised. “And you both should come and see me in Qingdao. I may not be your boss’s wife anymore, but you’re always welcome for free food.”

That had been it for Johnny. He burst into tears, the large, towering man burying his face into the tiny Victoria’s neck. To Seulgi, it was a new Johnny, one who wasn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve and cry his heart out at the smallest things. But Seulgi liked him that way – there was a lightness about him, one that she hadn’t felt before.  

She gazed at the office across hers, where Johnny was jumping about the room and decorating the walls with multicolored Post-Its. She could tell from his interns’ wrinkled noses that it was starting to look like a circus, and Seulgi laughed to herself. Johnny caught her eye and flashed her a smile.

Yeah, Seulgi thought. That was definitely the way she liked him to be.

As she was about to return to her work, she heard a soft knock at her door. Standing at the doorway was a young woman with electric blue hair cropped at her shoulders and eyes as sharp as a razor. She was garbed in neon pants and a golden mesh body suit – an outfit that did not belong in a straight-laced legal office.

“Yo,” she waved, “what’s up, Seulgi-hyung?”

Seulgi beamed. There was only one person who called her ‘hyung’. “Oh, Ryujin!” Seulgi stood up with a smile. “Did you come from dance practice?”

“Yeah. I wanted to catch Mom and Dad’s catfight, but receptionist told me I was a beat too late.” Ryujin pouted. “So, tell me,” she leaned in curiously, “who got more money?”

There was a hint of mischief in her tone and a small curl at the edges of her lips. An odd reaction for a heavy topic, but it was no surprise to Seulgi. She’d known Shim Ryujin for half her life, probably most of Ryujin’s. The girl had always been out of the ordinary.

“We made sure it was fair and equal.” Johnny came over, flicking Ryujin on the forehead. The girl rubbed her head and threw Johnny a petulant look. “Thank god you weren’t there, or would’ve hit the fan.”

“Back at you, drama queen,” Ryujin shot back. Johnny flicked her again.

Seulgi laughed. “Well, good that you’re here,” Seulgi said, checking her watch. “Want to have lunch with us? It’s almost lunch time.”

Ryujin’s eyes lit up. “What are you going to have? Sushi? Wagyu steak? Oh, don’t tell me – the Michelin star restaurant across the road?”

“Cold sandwiches from the café downstairs,” Johnny replied anticlimactically.

Her shoulders quickly sank. “What?” she gaped. “Don’t you guys make enough to eat real food?”

“No, we don’t,” Johnny said. “Your dad doesn’t pay us enough.”

“Fair point,” Ryujin nodded. “The guy is a scrooge.” She took a quick check to her left and right. “If you guys can stand guard, I know where his spare credit card is. We can easily go for some–“

“Where is my spare credit card?”

The troupe sheepishly turned to Changmin, who leaned against the glass panel, smirking triumphantly. Ryujin yelped as her father held her by the ear, glancing at Johnny and Seulgi for help, though the two traitorously steered clear.

“What did you say, Shim Ryujin?” Changmin challenged. “You’re going to take my credit card? And what are you going to do with it?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Ryujin lied quickly. “Just going to help you do your employees a service, you know. Running a good business is all about treating your employees right, and–“

“So when are you going to start treating me right, huh? Twenty-five years old and you’re still living off your father, going your entire life without even treating him to one meal – the nerve you have, kid.”

“But, but–“ Ryujin protested, eyes darting around, trying to find herself a loophole. “Johnny-hyung and Seulgi-hyung are here! We’re all going to have lunch together, right? I don’t have enough money to treat them both!”

Changmin chuckled. “That’s why you shouldn’t have quit law school, you little runt! What did I tell you, huh? Think being a dancer can get you sushi every day?”

Seulgi wasn’t one to into family affairs, but she’d seen that scene so many times that it had become second skin. “I’ll buy, I’ll buy,” she assured. “Changmin-sunbae, cut her some slack.”

Ryujin managed to duck away from her father, giving Seulgi a fist bump. “You’re the best, Seulgi-hyung.”

“You cut her too much slack, Seulgi.” Changmin shook his head. “Alright, fine. My treat. I have a few more things to finish – meet me in the lobby in ten minutes.”

Changmin left the three of them beaming brightly – Changmin treating meant that it was going to be a whole feast.

Johnny rubbed his hands with glee. “Well, I’m going to share the joy with everyone else. See you guys in a bit,” he said, swinging out of the office.

Seulgi watched on with a smile. It had been a while since they had gone for a meal together – all of them. It had been a while since Changmin and Johnny had been in a state of mind to even sit down for a proper meal.

“Hey, Seulgi-hyung, by the way,” Ryujin called, garnering Seulgi’s attention, “thank you.”

Seulgi raised her eyebrows. “Ryujin, you don’t have to–“

“No, I do,” she said firmly. She looked Seulgi in the eyes and smiled. “You deserve it.”

“Ryujin...”

“No flattery,” Ryujin warned. “You and Johnny-hyung worked hard and you both know it. I know it. Mom and Dad know it. Now, you both can leave them to me.”

Seulgi heaved a sigh. For someone who had seen her parents through their best and worst, through their trials and tribulations, through their once-happy marriage and eventual separation, Shim Ryujin was as cool as a cucumber. But Ryujin had always been like that – calm, collected, self-assured, wise beyond her years. She had her father’s wit and her mother’s will, after all.

“Oh yeah,” Ryujin remem