Page 112 of You Had Me At Annyeong!
‘Didn’t hear a thing, if you’d like.’
Smiling, Haneul gives Mr Choi’s shoulder a friendly squeeze.
‘Say, Bujangnim, shall we go hit the cages?’
Haneul needs to release his anger and frustration. And he cannot think of a better way than to hit a few balls around.
At the batting cages, they just take shots silently for the first quarter of an hour. Haneul is the first to break the silence.
‘You know Timira has named you Nick Carter?’
Mr Choi is nonplussed.
‘Oh, c’mon, Bujangnim. You aren’t much older than us. I bet you are familiar with the Backstreet Boys?’
Haneul proceeds to sing the chorus lines from the Backstreet Boys’ iconic song ‘I Want It That Way’, even imitating the dance moves.
‘Ye yes, geureomyo! Who doesn’t know of them? Which one of them is Carter, though?’
Haneul grabs his phone and looks up images of Nick Carter. Upon finding a satisfactory image, he holds it out for Mr Choi to see.
‘Ah!’ Mr Choi blushes while running his fingers through his hair and brushing his bangs back.
‘How is she holding up, Bujangnim?’
Haneul hasn’t spoken with Timira since the incident with Rodrigo. It’s been over two days. He has kept his phone switchedoff in order to avoid calls from journalists and gossipmongers. He knows she must be worrying but is too ashamed of himself.
I should’ve told her, at least her, about my history with Rodrigo. Why, JUST WHY, did I have to keep it hidden? And of all people from her? I wish she were here, next to me, right now. God, why did I have to mess this up so bad!
Mr Choi informs him of her well-being. That he met her at work and she had seemed her usual, affable, slightly clumsy self.
‘Hah, clumsy. You’ve got that right, Bujangnim! Funny how she has managed to get by all this time without any major damage! That little creature is like a magnet for all sorts of accidents!’
He speaks of her so adoringly, Mr Choi cannot help but observe.
Haneul keeps talking.
‘You know I had to drive her to the hospital the first time we met?’
So I was right. He has indeed known her since before she came to work at SecondSkin!
‘How did you two meet, Daepyonim?’
‘Recall our shoot in Bali? I had escaped from the party, remember? I was at the beach when I bumped into her. Well, to be honest …’
…that wasn’t the first time I saw her, he thinks to himself, but doesn’t say anything.
‘Why did you stop, Daepyonim?’
‘Nah, I must sound like I’m obsessed with her!’
‘Is that such a bad thing?’
‘It’s not?’
‘It isn’t really my place to say anything much, but sometimes we are but mere puppets in the hands of destiny …’
‘Are you saying this is fate?Unmyeongcheoleom?’
