Page 122 of You Had Me At Annyeong!
‘Don’t worry, he’ll call again. I know him. And if he doesn’t, I’ll call him back. Okay? There’s something more important I need to take care of before I handle him.’
Eyebrows raised, Hanee looks at Timira expectantly, waiting for an explanation. But Timira smiles and walks towards her. Wrapping her arms around Hanee, she speaks softly.
‘Uri, Honey, my angel, Honey,gomawo! Thank you for your confession. And thank you for liking your nutcase eonni.’
Hanee, warm and comfortable inside Timira’s embrace, murmurs under her breath, but doesn’t embrace her back. Respectful of boundaries, as always, her arms are to the side even as her heart races. She does allow herself to inhale copious amounts of Timira’s trusty Kerastase serum and current favourite Thé Matcha by Le Labo though.
‘How is your heart, dear Honey? I’m sure it must be hurting. I am so sorry!’ Timira’s voice is as pained as her heart. If there’s even one person who has loved her selflessly, since Alice and Bhaskar, it is Hanee. No agenda, no vested interest—just pure love.
‘It’s all right, Seonbae. Sorry, I mean eonni. It’s a little sad, but it’ll be okay. Look, please don’t beat yourself up over this. I always knew you didn’t swing my way. I tried to keep my feelings platonic, but the heart wants what it wants, right?’
‘Oh, I know that feeling all too well, Honey. I’m just sad that you are sad. You know how happy you make me, don’t you? You know you are my little sister, don’t you?’
Hanee makes a puking face and giggles.
‘Stop it, Honey! I’m being serious right now. You know I love you, don’t you?’
‘Ara, Seonb—eonni, eonni! I know. And that is why I’m not going to be sad … well, not for too long. I promise!’ Hanee grins and salutes Timira.
‘Honey, what will happen when you meet someone great and fall for them? Will you forget about me?’ Timira pouts.
‘No way! Never! Sis before miss, always!’
Timira bursts out laughing. ‘Did you just make that up?’
‘Sorry,’ Hanee admits sheepishly.
Timira ruffles Hanee’s hair and kisses the top of her head. ‘My darling Honey,’ she sighs contentedly.
‘Eonni, you have stalled for long enough. Get on with that call, will you?’
* * *
Even from a considerable distance, Timira is able to spot Rodrigo. He is running laps with some of his considerably younger teammates and is considerably faster than all of them.
Timira smiles and rolls her eyes a little.
Such a show-off!
Timira, dressed like celebrities trying to hide from the paparazzi, is at the Seoul Stealers FC training ground to meet Rodrigo.
Face flushed red and sweating profusely, he runs up to the stand where Timira is.
‘Timmy, hey! Wow, look at you. I wouldn’t have known it’s you had I not noticed that you missed your footing while climbing down the stairs!’
Rodrigo is smiling. Timira is not.
Argh, why am I such a klutz?!
‘Is your training over?’
‘Nah, not yet. We are playing a practice game in a bit.’
‘Then why did you ask to meet?’
‘Because I had to meet you the soonest I could! I need to get it off my chest. Else I cannot focus on anything else. You know that about me, don’t you?’
Timira does. Rodrigo has never been able to bottle his feelings. He’s always been in a rush to let them out.
