5

“Why are you so quiet?” Jin Hun asked on the drive to Sam Soon’s place.

“Do I always have to talk?” she said without looking at him.

Jin Hun sighed. It was turning out to be weirdest day in the history of their relationship. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

She scowled at him. “If I say ‘no’, what will you do?”

Jin Hun was silent for a minute as he tried to ignore the pound in his chest. Earlier on, he’d thought she didn’t overhear his mother but now he wasn’t so sure. “Tell me what the matter is.”

She just looked at him.

“Come on, tell me. How can we deal with this if you don’t tell me?”

“What if it’s not your problem?”

“If it’s your problem, it’s mine, too. I thought that was pretty obvious.”

She snickered. “Yeah right.”

“Did something happen?” Tell me you didn’t hear anything, please say you didn’t hear anything, he thought.

Sam Soon rested her elbows on her lap and put her head in her palms. “I’m just tired. Can you just drive?”

“Okay.” Jin Hun looked at her- her back sunken in as if in surrender- and just wanted to reach out and touch her. But in the few years they’d been together, he understood that there were some times she just needed some space. But lately, he’d begun to fear that she’d need so much space that she wouldn’t want to be with him anymore.

About ten minutes later, with her head leaning against the window, Sam Soon started, “Your mother…”

Jin Hun’s felt a lump in his throat. “What about her…?”

She let out a short laugh. “She…wow… she… ”

“She... what?”

“Ah… forget it.”

“No, I am not going to forget it. Just say it.” He put his foot on the brake and started to slow down.

“Hey, don’t pullover. I was just going to say that she looked nice.”

“Do you think I am stupid? Why are you lying?”

“Are you deaf? Don’t pullover! We are almost at my place.”

Jin Hun complied and kept driving. “Did you hear my Mom say anything?” he asked in the calmest of voices.

“No. Just drop it.” She reached for the radio dial. “I wonder what’s on the FM station now.”


***
“Thanks for the ride,” Sam Soon said as she stepped out of Jin Hun’s car. She’d wanted to tell him everything his mother had said, but wouldn’t that have been like admitting defeat? She’d unequivocally been told that she would never marry him but she was scared that vocalizing it would only make it true. Maybe after a good night’s rest, she’d be able to collect her thoughts.

Jin Hun stepped out of the car.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

He rolled his eyes. “Can’t I give my girlfriend a hug and kiss?”

She shook her head and smiled. She’d have a good night’s rest and figure out what to do the next day, so surely, a hug couldn’t hurt, right?

She watched him walk over from his side of the car and let herself feel his warm embrace. She nestled her head in his chest and allowed herself to drink in his scent. Was she really supposed to just give all this up? He was whispering something to her but she wasn’t paying attention –all she wanted to do was enjoy the feel of his breath on her nape.

He stepped back a little, and with one hand now resting on her hand, he used the other to lift her chin to make her look into his eyes. “You’re going to tell me what’s bothering you tomorrow. Okay?”

She chuckled. “Whatever.”

“I’m serious,” he said, sounding it.

After kissing her in such a way that would only make it more difficult for her to fall asleep later that night, he got back into his car and drove off.

Still smiling, Sam Soon walked into her living room to see it filled with all sorts of shopping bags and boxes.

“Hey, Sam Soon,” her mother said, gesturing for her to join her and Yi Young. “Come and see your sister’s dowry. Doesn’t everything look great?”

And just like that, her mood was killed.


***
Mi Joo grinned as she walked out of her school compound.

“Hey!” Sam Soon hugged her. Was it her imagination or had Mi Joo actually gained some weight? Either way, she was going to make sure she stopped getting blamed for it. She patted Mi Joo’s face. “How was school?”

“Fine. Oh, I am hungry,” she said, rubbing her belly. “I can’t wait till we get to your shop – I am going to eat so much.”

Sam Soon shook her head. “Well, you are going to have to wait because we are walking today.”

Mi Joo’s face fell. “Walking?”

Sam Soon nodded.

“The whole way?”

Sam Soon nodded again.

Mi Joo groaned. “Why? My legs are going to ache me.”

Sam Soon took her arm. “Don’t worry; I’ll massage them for you.”


***
“Where are you? Mi Joo needs to go home,” Sam Soon said into the phone.

“Yeah, that’s what I am calling about,” Jin Hun replied.

“So hurry up,” she said as she walked further behind the counter. “Come and take her. She’s hungry.”

“Is this some kind of joke? Don’t you have food over there?”

“Look, I’ve given her some fruit but she needs to go home for dinner.”

“Then give her something else. Anyway, something came up and I won’t be able to leave here till really late.” He sounded frustrated.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine – I’ll tell you all about it later. But could you take her home?”

“Ehm… why?” She’d decided not to tell him about her conversation with his mother but she was also trying to abide by her wishes. She was sure that seeing her there would only serve to further anger his mother.

“I just told you. I won’t be able to leave here till late.”

“Can’t you get your mother’s chauffeur to come and pick her?”

“No. Just do this for me, okay? I’ve been thinking about what you said and I think we need to show how important you are to the family.”

What more could she show? “Has your mother said anything to you?”

He hesitated. “No. I just think it’s time we show them what you mean to us.”

“Whatever.” She paused. “Is there really an emergency at the hotel?”

“What? Of course there is! You think I made this up?”

“I don’t know. You want to show that I am a good unpaid nanny, right?”

“Stop that. So will you please take her home?”

Sam Soon found herself agreeing to it. And when she dropped Mi Joo off, she was very relieved to discover that her grandmother wasn’t home.


***
Three Months Later

“Don’t you think the teacher sounds funny?” Sam Soon asked her classmate.

He laughed. “Doesn’t English always sound funny?”

She chuckled. “Yes, but he sounds worse. I think he doesn’t know what he’s teaching us. I’m sure they wouldn’t understand him in England.”

They were still laughing when she heard someone call her name. She turned around to see who it was.

“Mr. Lee.” It was odd seeing him outside of her shop. In fact, he looked different… less like a customer.

Her classmate excused himself and left them alone.

“What are you doing here?” she continued.

He smiled at her. “I am taking the Advanced English class,” he said, pointing at an emptying classroom.

“Cool. I’m taking the Level 2 class,” she replied, pointing at hers. “Why are you taking such a hard class?”

“My parents just moved to America so I’m just brushing up on my English for when I visit them.”

“I see.” They stood in awkward silence for a moment. “That’s great.”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “Ehm… Miss Kim, you look really nice today.”