But First, Marriage

☆*: .｡. o(≧ 5 ≦)o .｡.:*☆

"You think this is intentional, don't you?" Joohyuk demanded. "It's obvious you're the one running after me. You found the note I slipped under your door and-"

"I checked out just before midnight so I couldn't possibly have read your note," she said angrily. "And furthermore I left a message for you."

"I didn't get it."

"Then there's been a misunderstanding."

"To say at the least," Joohyuk muttered. "A misunderstanding..." His tone was doubtful, as if he suspected she'd purposefully arranged to fly home with him. She launched into an indignant protest.

"Excuse me, please."

The interruption was from an uniformed airline employee who was leaning over the counter and waving in an effort to gain their attention.

"May I have your ticket and passport?" she asked Suzy. "You're holding up the line."

"Of course. I'm sorry." The best thing to do, she decided, was to ignore Joohyuk completely. Just because they were booked on the same flight didn't mean they had to have anything to do with each other. Evidently they'd both panicked after their encounter in the garden. He was as eager to escape as she was.

Okay, so she'd ignore him and he'd ignore her. She'd return to her life, and he'd return to his. From this point forward, they need never have contact with each other again. Then they'd both be satisfied.

The airline clerk punched something into her computer. "I can give you your seat assignment now," she remarked, concentrating on the screen.

Standing on tiptoe, Suzy leaned toward the woman and lowered her voice into a whisper. "Could you make sure I'm as far from Mr. Nam's seat as possible?"

"This flight is booked solid," the attendant said impatiently. "The only reason you and your...friend were able to get seats was because of a last-minute cancellation. I'll do the best I can, but I can't rearrange everyone's seat assignments just before the flight."

"I understand," Suzy said, feeling foolish and petty. But the way her luck had been going, Joohyuk would end up in the seat beside hers, believing she'd purposely arranged that, too.

They boarded the flight separately; in fact, Joohyuk was one of the last passengers to step onto the plane.

By that time, Suzy was settled in the second row of the first-class section, flipping through the in-flight magazine. Joohyuk walked past her, intent on the boarding pass clutched in his hand.

Pretending she hadn't seen him seemed the best tactic, and she turned to gaze out the window.

"It seems I'm sitting here," Joohyuk announced brusquely, loading his carry-on luggage in the compartment above the seats.

Suzy had to bite her tongue to keep from insisting she'd had nothing to do with that. She'd even tried to prevent it, but she doubted Joohyuk would believe her.

"Before you claim otherwise. I want you to know I didn't arrange this," he said, sitting down beside her.

"I know that."

"You do?"

"Of course," Suzy told him. "The fates are against us. I don't know how my grandfather arranged our meeting at the airport or the adjoining seats, any more than I know why I stumbled on you my first day at the Inn. We might never have crossed paths. But somehow, some way. Halabeoji is responsible." That didn't sound entirely reasonable, but she thought it best not to mention their stroll in the moonlight.

"So you're not ready to unleash the full force of your anger on me?"

"I don't see how I can be upset with you--or the reverse. Neither of us asked for this."