Miss Han cleared , giving Mi Young a disapproving look. “Cut it out, kids. You might end up harassing our guests. If you keep doing that, they might no longer decide to return. Would you want that?” The kids all shook their heads, especially Mi Young who had her head down, looking ashamed.

“I’m sorry for meddling, So Eun unni and Bum oppa. I just think that you two look really close and will make a nice couple,” she admitted as she bit her lip.

Bum placed a hand on her back and smiled at her warmly. “It’s not a problem. Don’t worry about it, Mi Young-ah.”

“Indeed. We don’t really mind. It happens all the time,” I said. It wasn’t exactly true, yet being in the industry entailed getting your name linked to others, even in the most ridiculous sense. It would be a complete lie to say that the kids’ interrogation didn’t give me jitters because I felt my insides churn the moment Mi Young posed that question. However, the professional in me still took the upper hand. “And Bum and I are really good friends.”

Miss Han apologized on behalf of the children once more and we assured her that there was no need to do so. We continued to enjoy the rest of our meal and once we had devoured it down to the last bit, we earnestly gave our thanks to the new friends we made and promised them another fun and memorable workshop in the days to come.

++++

I decided to pay Manhee a visit in her apartment the following evening. The last time we got together was over a couple of months ago when she dropped by at my home. To be honest, not seeing my best friend as often as I would like still took a lot of getting used to. She and I were practically joined at the hip during our younger years, which is why we knew each other down to the core. Nevertheless, nothing can ever diminish our friendship, not even time and space.

“Oy, why so serious, So Eun-ah?” Manhee broke my musings as she sat across me at the table on the apartment’s balcony, handing me a glass of sangria. I got the glass and took a sip of her personal concoction. Ah, perfect. “Wae? I’m just tired. I moved around a lot yesterday. That was very draining, don’t you think?

She gasped dramatically while clasping a hand over . “Holy ! Did you get some action with Mr. Killer Smile?! Yah, So Eun…” My face turned livid as I glared at her. I grabbed her by the elbow and gave her a light punch. “We were working on a serious project, you fool. Hasn’t it ever occurred to you that acting will require you to move your body constantly? Try teaching it to a bunch of kids, why don’t you? Let’s see if you don’t end up as tired as I am.”

She raised a hand dismissively, set in a hard line. “No thank you.”

I snickered. “I knew you’d say that.”

“Anyway, why weren’t you answering my texts?” she inquired as she got her own glass of sangria and took a sip. “I thought you would’ve been done already by then.”

I popped the bag of chips that lay before me open. “They had us over for lunch. I didn’t want to be rude,” I explained while I munched on the chips.

“Ahhh. I see,” she stated knowingly, as if she had been let in on a secret. “So…” she leaned closer while her eyes twinkled with plain mischief, “did the feelings come rushing back?” she asked before holding two fingers up in a peace sign.

I put the glass down on the table. “You really want to die tonight, huh? I can take care of it,” I threatened jokingly. She ferociously waved both of her hands in protest. “I’m still too young to die! Fyi, this is just the beginning of life for me. And I just got myself a new beau. Can’t you give me more time to enjoy my non-singlehood? It rarely happens, you know.”

She had me laughing at her enthusiasm. The guy she went on a blind date with that day she came to my house turned out to be a hotshot first year resident medical officer. They hit off right away and after a series of follow-up dates, they became an item. I hadn’t personally met him yet, though Manhee’s stories about him rubbed me the right way and I think I could give him my seal of approval.

“But you know what, So Eun,” she paused and got some chips from the bag, “that Song Jae Rim guy isn’t bad at all. What if he liked you for real?” I had had a lot of people ask me this question, yet I always shrugged them off. I saw no harm in a little happy crush, but that was where I drew the line.

“Nah, what he shows is just part of who he is. He’s naturally that way,” I explained. “Okay, let’s stop talking about me and start talking about YOU. Since we have approached the subject already, how’s it going with the new love? I better meet him soon.” Her cheeks suddenly turned multiple shades of red, a rare sight for my best friend who was the type that normally stayed calm and collected. “Well…for starters…let’s just say he always hits the right spots. He knows how I like it. He’s a doctor after all. You know what they say about doctors—connecting with others comes naturally for them.”

I almost spat my drink out, but managed to down it before I could. Thank goodness Manhee lived independently as she decided to move out of her parents’ home the moment she was offered the position of an account manager at one of the country’s top advertising firms. The last thing she would’ve wanted was her parents walking in on our not-so-wholesome conversation that revolved around her escapades. “What the heck are you saying?! Yah! That’s too much information and I don’t want to hear the rest of it! Now you need to help me get these visuals out of my head.” She frowned and looked at me strangely. “Mwoh? What do you think…” Her eyes almost looked as if they were about to fall out of their sockets when realization kicked in. “Yah! I meant that figuratively, you idiot! Seriously, So Eun. Have you reached that stage of deprivation that dirty thoughts randomly enter your head?”

I looked away, trying