Page 31 of You Had Me At Annyeong!
Hanee bites her lightly glass-tinted lips and wonders how to break the news to her. She isn’t sure of the connection between Timira and the man, but after witnessing what she had the previous week, anybody could tell it wasn’t particularly harmonious.
Timira, meanwhile, reaches for the toilet roll and curses silently. Getting up from the WC and flushing, she groans and, clutching at her belly, loudly curses Rodrigo.
‘Universe, for how much longer will I have to be stuck with this giant piece of turd?! I’m done being backed up!Poori salary isabgol khareedney mein lagaa doon?’
* * *
‘Did you see him?Uwa! Jinjja meotjida! [Wow! So cool!]’
‘I couldn’t believe my eyes! Have you heard the rumour? Aaah, I hope it’s true.’
‘Why are you excited, though? You marketing lot will only get as far as shaking hands with him! We’ll be up close … measuring him, touching him, taking his clothes off, putting them back on …’
Timira walks past a gaggle of giggly girls at the SecondSkin office and catches only the last bit of their mildly NSFW conversation. But it’s enough to make her blush as she recalls her arms around Haneul’s chest and Haneul whispering into her ear from her dream the previous night.
Hanee watches her from across the corridor and frowns. Her gaze follows her as Timira swings the door to her cabin open and skips in … only to pop her head out in a split second.
‘UriHoney!Baegopa[I’m hungry]! Where’s that breakfast you promised?’
‘Heating it up, Seonbae. Be there in a minute!’
Armed with pancakes and coffee, Hanee walks in to find Timira smiling stupidly and scribbling in her kitschy Shin Ramyun–like red-coloured notepad. She still doesn’t know how to break the news to her.
‘Snap! These are so good! You lucky girl, getting to eat such good food every day.’
‘To be honest, Seonbae, most days for me it’s either a bowl of cereal or toast. Think I’ve had a lifetime’s fill of home food!’
‘Girrrrrl, that’s privilege right there. You have no idea how blessed you are. I’d give my right arm for food made with love …’
‘I’m sure your childhood was full of good food. Indo-curry is my favourite. There are a couple of Indian restaurants nearby. We can go …’
Hanee stops midway through the sentence because Timira has evidently tuned out. She is looking out of the window, mouth half-open, chives stuck in one corner, a faraway look in her eyes.
Ma must be yelling at Apa right now for messing up the grocery list and getting rye seeds instead of mustard seeds. Or, she’s fighting with the maali for giving the better gulaab ka paudha to Patil aunty next door.
Hanee hesitates for a minute or so before deciding to wake Timira, who seems to be lost in thought.
‘Seonbae! Seonbaenim!’
‘Yes, yessss! Crap, sorry, sorry. I got lost. How embarrassing!’
Timira slaps her forehead and pats her cheeks.
‘Sorry, Honey. Where were we? Food … ah yes, Indian food. Nah, let’s get me a lifetime of Korean food in these months! When in Rome …’
Giggling at her own joke, as per usual, she reaches for another piece of the pajeon.
‘You must be missing home …’
Speaking through a mouth full of food, Timira admires a piece of the pancake between her chopsticks that she triumphantly holds up like a trophy.
‘Ah, you thing of beauty. Where were you all my life?’
Turning towards Hanee, she adds, ‘Gomabta, Hanee-ya. For feeding me with love and making me feel at home. And, thank you to your mother. She’s everything mine isn’t!’
Hanee doesn’t quite know what to make of this and looks a little confused.
‘Honey, oi! Where are you lost?’
