Chapter 8: Simon’s POV

“Chae Aeri. Event Coordinator at Cette Soirée-Là – Seoul,” I read to myself over and over again.

Every time my eyes came to her name, my heart fluttered. I’ve never had feelings for someone this strong come on so soon. I’ve only met her twice, both encounters brief and only a week apart, and yet I’m acting like a high schooler who’s fallen in love for the first time when I know better not to.

She has a boyfriend and from what I’ve heard from Daniel, her relationship seems pretty serious. She’s been with this guy for two years now and even lives with him, a rarity for an unmarried woman her age. At the looks of it, marriage appears to be on the horizon for Irie and it should be for me too. I’m turning 28 in a couple of weeks. I don’t have time to be chasing after someone who I have little to no chance with. I know I can’t be with her. What was I even thinking when I asked her to dinner earlier? I even asked her for her number. I know better than to come onto her like that. I know it’s wrong to try and take her away from someone else, but I’m doing just that. At the rate that I’m going at, how am I any better than Yudai?

“I should tell her I can’t make it anymore,” I muttered to myself as I reached for my phone.

“Hi Simon,” Irie said, picking up immediately, not even half of a ring after I pressed call. “I was just about to call you actually.”

“Oh,” was all I could say when it felt like my heart was in my throat.

“Funny right?” she chuckled. “So are we still on for dinner?”

“No,” my mind exclaimed, while I felt my mouth form the word “yes.”

I kicked myself. Hard. What I was doing was wrong and I knew it. And now, it’s too late for me to back out of this situation, which I put myself in.

“Great,” she said with a smile shining through her voice. “Where should I meet you?”

“I’ll meet you in front of the Calvin Klein store,” I replied.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you soon!” Irie said before hanging up.

Irie’s boyfriend, whoever you are man, I’m sorry. If you don’t want me to be around her in the future, I get it. I would be like that too if I were in your position. But I hope that you’ll let me remain in her life as a friend. I’m sure I’ll learn to get over her eventually. You’re really lucky – you know that? Having a woman like Irie in your life, as your girlfriend, is a privilege that most men don’t have the chance to experience. I’m sure you already do this, but all I ask of you is to treat her well. Please.

I found Irie sitting on the steps outside the store building. Her phone was against her ear and annoyance was written all over her face.

“Why not?” she asked to the person on the other end, in English. “How is this any different?”

That must be him.

“You were the one who told me to go make some new friends, since I supposedly spend too much time with you,” she said. “I hate to break it to you, but you also go out, one-on-one, with friends of the opposite .”

I felt awful, knowing that I was the cause for the discord between Irie and her boyfriend. Had I not acted my feelings so quickly, she and her boyfriend could have avoided having this argument completely.

“Look,” Irie then sighed, almost defeatedly. “It’s obvious that you’ve been drinking. I’m not going to have this conversation, over the phone, with you drunk on the other end. Let’s just stop now and continue this later.”

After a few more exchanges with her boyfriend, Irie then hung up. She then let out a long sigh as she stared sadly at her phone, which she was now holding in her hands.  

“Simon,” Irie then said suddenly, looking up.

She must have sensed me standing there.

“You should have said something,” she chuckled.

“I wasn’t waiting long,” I fibbed. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah,” she nodded with a smile.

Her smile didn’t fool me. I could see it in her eyes that she was still upset about something her boyfriend said in the midst of their argument.

Seeing her like that made my heart ache. But what hurt even more was the fact that I couldn’t do anything about it. To her, I’m just a friend. She said so herself. But that isn’t a bad thing. It’s actually a good thing – great even. To know that she wants me to remain in her life, in some shape or form, is more than I could ask for. But as a friend, there’s a limit to what I can do. Because of that, I feel like that there isn’t anything I can do or say to make her feel better, without going too far. I felt helpless. If only there was something I could do.