Forty, Thirty-Six

Your World

Yi-jin thought that not working would feel difficult. After all, he hadn't had a day off since he had started as a rookie correspondent at UBS. Yet here he was, not even wanting to bother calculating how many years it had been because he was enjoying lounging around on his sofa so much.

He looked around the living room, taking in the minimal furnishing and the bare walls. Perhaps he would spend the weekend sprucing up this apartment. He paid an exorbitant amount of rent for the downtown location, after all (in addition to the mortgage for his parents' house). Might as well make it an enjoyable place to live while he had the spare time.

But, first things first, his stomach was starting to growl. Yi-jin glanced at his watch. Five in the afternoon.

Since his last day on Monday, he had only gone out once for a last ("a real last-last dinner", according to his former colleagues) farewell company meal. Then, it was like his body was finally giving in to the years and years of sleepless nights and high-stress situations. He had stayed in his apartment, only sleeping and eating, for two days. Until today, Friday, when he had finally run out of groceries.

"Time to emerge into the world again," he muttered to himself as he shifted off the sofa, where he had taken a long afternoon nap.

Having said that, he ended up meandering along the streets and alleyways for a while, relishing the simple pleasure of walking without being in a rush. The sun was setting later in August, bathing all the pedestrians and shops in the hazy warmth of twilight. Yi-jin found himself stopping at a corner store, right in front of a hoppang machine. It was unusual to see the fluffy, steamed buns in summer.

The buns stirred up a faint sense of longing – as well as that briefly-forgotten growl in his stomach. Yi-jin entered the store and bought four. He took his phone out as the cashier went to put the hoppang in a bag.

'Even though it's a Friday night, I thought I'd message you anyway on the off chance that you're free. I have hoppang – fresh and warm.'

The reply was almost immediate: 'Hoppang! You have impeccable timing, Baek Yi-jin. I'm just leaving now.'

'Where are you? I'll meet you there.'

Grinning to himself, Yi-jin received the paper bag from the cashier and went about the business of flagging down a taxi. The address she gave him was located in Gangnam. Yi-jin wondered what she was doing in the upscale area.

His taxi came to a stop in front of a glossy office tower. Yi-jin's mood dampened when he caught sight of two figures standing on the sidewalk. There was Hee-do's distinctive silhouette, petite yet sturdy, alongside someone else. Alongside a man, to be exact.

Yi-jin paid the driver, watching their body language with the other eye as he did so. They stood a polite distance apart. The man had his hands in his pockets, while Hee-do seemed to have her arms crossed, holding her elbows in a protective cradle. They were looking straight ahead instead of at each other while they spoke.

Well, it wasn't like he was turning up uninvited. Yi-jin got out of the taxi and decided to walk up to them, clearing his throat as he neared.

"Hoppang!" he announced loudly.

Two startled faces turned towards him at the same time. Perhaps he had been a bit too loud.

"Ah! Baek Yi-jin," Na Hee-do recovered quickly, sombre expression brightening as she caught sight of Yi-jin and the paper bag he was holding up. Then she seemed to suddenly remember the man standing beside her and gestured between them. "Kim Jung-hoon," she introduced.

The man gave Yi-jin a once-over. He looked to be in his late 40s, well-groomed with a moneyed air about him. "Nice to meet you," he said politely. "Well. I guess this is why you didn't want me to see you home." He fished some car keys out of his trouser pocket. "Don't take too long to get back to me, Hee-do ya. I'll be off then." He dipped his head politely at Yi-jin, then turned towards a sports car parked along the curb.