“Soojin wait!” I hear Myungsoo’s voice call after me, it’s angry and truthfully I’m glad he’s angry because I’m pretty irritated too. Turning around I glare at him and wait for him to say what he has to. “Where do you think you’re going? This benefit is important.” He hisses glaring at me.

As I wrap my black lace shawl around myself, letting it flow over my arms as I look at him expectantly. “I am waiting, just like you asked.” I snap at him shifting my weight.

Myungsoo stares at me as though I’ve lost it and maybe I have, but I can’t stand here all night in this hall waiting for him to figure out what he wants to say. “What’s going on? We have to make our appearance here, you know that.” He says like I’d forgotten.

I shake my head at him. “You have to; all you need is a pretty doll to hold on your arm and to agree with you. I just can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep acting like we’re okay when we aren’t. I don’t even love you anymore.” I say shaking my head at him. “Myungsoo, I’m sorry I just can’t do this anymore.” I say turning around. I continue down the hall leaving him there as I reach the stairs and head down them.

This huge event that his family has been planning for months, the fights we’ve had, and pretending that we’d gotten passed all that.

My stilettos click on the white marble floor as I head towards the lobby, the echo as I cross the room and I know the girl who is working is looking at me frantically as I approach her. “My stub for my jacket and purse.” I say handing a small yellow ticket to her. She quickly heads to the room behind her and comes back with my matching black jacket and white clutch.

Placing my shawl on the counter I slide my jacket on, I slip the shawl around my neck and grab my purse, slipping a tip on the counter; I walk out of the building that is hosting the benefit for some charity that Myungsoo’s family runs.

Out in the open I walk to the side walk and quickly hail a cab, as I get in I decide to get some food, I haven’t had anything all day and I’ve been busy trying to look the part of the perfect doll for so long. Getting out after paying my fair I enter the little family restaurant and take a seat in a booth.

Now that I was actually far away from everything and I could actually breathe I felt liberated. I’d finally done what should have been done months if not years ago. “What can I get for you?” A waitress asks approaching my table.

I take a look at the menu and order the first thing I see, for once it isn’t a salad and I’m not having someone nag me about what anything will do to my body if I eat it. Leaning back I close my eyes and rest my head,

“Any plans of marriage?” Some well-to-do women the wife of some man who owns or runs a company, who is trying desperately to impress Myungsoo’s family. “You two have been dating for what seems like ages.”

“Soojin and I are in the middle of picking the date actually.” Myungsoo lies smoothly, well not entirely, we had been in the middle of picking dates, of making the plans, but one thing lead to another and I found out about some girl and I called it off. We salvaged what we could and decided to hold off on the wedding. That had been nearly two years ago.

Obviously right after that I got up and left Myungsoo, effectively ending our relationship. I’d moved out after I found out about the other girl and we weren’t anywhere near resuming out wedding planning, and yet he could lie about it so blatantly.

Once hearing my phone go off I quickly pull it out of my clutch and switch it off, the last thing I want right now is to be found so soon after I finally decided to leave. Setting my phone back on the table I close my eyes while I wait for my food, as I open my eyes I’m met by a strange sight.

“Hey, nice to meet you.” A stranger says timidly while smiling at me, I nod my head unsure what to make of him, after all how often does one just invite themselves into your booth and start a conversation like that? “I swear I’m not up to anything, I’m just hiding.” He says holding his hands in front of him.

“I see.” I muse observing him curiously, he’s wearing a simply hooded jacket with the hood up, most of his face is obscured by the jacket and he’s not giving off a particularly dangerous vibe. “What exactly are you hiding from?” I ask him tilting my head to the side; I feel my hair sway with the motion, it relaxes me.

“Girls.” He says simply. “And a couple of boys.” He says cryptically, he then looks at me while puffing his cheeks up. “You look fancy for eating here.” He blurts out.

I chuckle and smile at him. “And you look suspicious.”  I counter playfully, something about him makes me feel relaxed and honestly who doesn’t like that feeling?

“That is very true.” The stranger mutters while rubbing his side and sighing. “Mind if I join you for a little bit?” He asks straightening up as people pass by the window.

I watch him amusedly as he visibly relaxes as the crowd passes. For a moment I consider telling him to leave and to continue on with the night alone like I thought I be doing, but company doesn’t sound so bad. “Promise this isn’t to mug me?” I ask him pouting my lips, he nods his head vigorously. “Can I get a name of my companion?”

For a moment he looks torn, then he bites his lip a bit before he lifts his head so I can actually make out his face. “Chansung, and you are?” The now named man says confidently.