Page 84 of You Had Me At Annyeong!
Haneul uncuffs his shirt and rolls up the sleeves. He blows out air a few times and fans himself with his hand.
‘Daepyonim, are you okay? Do you feel sick?’ Timira asks with concern in a voice that sounds more genuine than any Haneul has heard in a very long time.
‘No, no, carry on. Um, will this take much longer? I have another appointment to get to.’
Timira is slightly taken aback by Haneul’s sudden question.
Shit! He must have noticed my mind is elsewhere. Crap, crap, crap. I must be doing a bad job. THIS is what happens when the lines between professional and personal life blur. Tch, I really ought to have known better than to get messed up between the two!
‘I’m sorry I’ve taken this long, Mr Baek. There’s still a fair bit more to run by you, but if you are getting late for yourappointment, I could come back with this later today, if that’s okay with you?’
‘I’m not sure I’ll be back in the office today.’
Oh.
‘Tell you what, why don’t you mail the contents to me and I can have a look between meetings?’
Why does it feel like he’s purposely trying to avoid me? Does he regret it? Does he regret whatever’s happened between us? Or having to save me from myself all those times?
‘Whatever you like. Sure, I’ll mail you.’
She grabs her stuff and walks towards the door. Haneul continues to fan himself and look away. Just as she’s about to exit, she turns around and says, ‘Daepyonim, I did not get to thank you.’
‘For what?’ Haneul answers, still looking away.
‘For Jeju.’
After a pause, she adds, ‘And for before that.’
‘Before that’? Does she know?
Haneul stiffens but his eyes soften. His gaze shifts towards Timira who smiles warmly and says, ‘Thank you for being there. Every single time! Even if you did not wish to. Thank you!’
* * *
‘Even if you did not wish to’?!?!
Haneul has been rushing from one meeting to another, but Timira’s words have yet to stop ringing in his ears.
What is wrong with her? Does she really think I regret any of it? This is all my doing. She hasn’t misread my signals; I am the one to blame for this. I must’ve come across as cold and aloof earlier today.
And Bali. She most certainly now remembers Bali! What is she going to even think of me when she realizes I have knownall along? How creeped out is she going to be? Oh, michigenne (I will go crazy)!
Haneul is silently chiding himself when his phone dings and a new email pops up. It’s from Timira. It is the presentation she had been taking him through earlier in his cabin. A second notification pops up. This time, a text. Also from Timira. Haneul’s heart skips a beat and the phone nearly lurches out of his hand when, as if right on cue, the car makes a sharp bend.
‘Haneul-ssi, I was hoping you’d find some time for me. There’s something I’d really like to talk to you about. It won’t take much time. Of course, I could do this in the office, but I’d rather I say this outside. I’m not sure if this is improper, but do you think we could meet this evening?’
Barring the time in Jeju, Haneul and Timira haven’t been by themselves anywhere outside the office since Bali. Just the thought of it excites Haneul. He knows what she is going to talk about and is worried he might blurt out the truth. But the thought of spending time alone with Timira pleases him no end and he finds himself typing a reply that threatens to almost expose his eagerness to see her.
‘I should be done by six. Shall we go to Overte? I can pick you up from your place.’
How does he know I like the desserts at Overte? Is this also a coincidence? Or has he really been stalking me? Oh, God. I’m turning into Alice. I really ought to stop my imagination from running amok!
‘Let’s meet directly at Overte at six-thirty.’ Timira lives very close to the SecondSkin office. She is worried someone might spot Haneul and her together.
‘Okay. See you!’
Traffic having delayed him a little, by the time Haneul reaches Overte, a popular doughnut café in Jung District, Timira isalready on her second cup of Americano and halfway through an Oreo cookie and cream doughnut, which the café is famous for.
