Closer with you (ongoing)

CHAPTER 4

"Okay, tell me everything. I'm listening."

"You're not. You're cutting meat."

"Do you really think that little of me? I can multitask, Yongsun. Hmph, you think you know someone after working with them for three years, then they tell you how they really feel about you." Momentarily putting down the scissors that were in his right hand, Eric clutched at his chest. "I'm hurt." Yongsun couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

"You're so dramatic."

Though delayed by a week, the meal that Eric had promised her was finally happening. It wasn't that she was trying to avoid him—she was actually quite excited to meet up with Eric—, it was more that she had so much to take care of for graduate school that she couldn't make time for much else. Most of the logistics were now taken care of though, so here they were on a Thursday night, in a nice-enough-but-not-over-the-top barbecue restaurant. As the establishment wasn't that crowded, their meat sizzling on the grill would be the most noise they'd have to contend with throughout their conversation.

Yongsun kept up some small talk as Eric cooked their meat, but she refused to get into the nitty gritty of what lay ahead for her until she had his undivided attention.

"I know what you're doing, by the way," Eric shared as he flipped a few pieces of hanwoo beef.

"Oh yeah? What am I doing?" Yongsun asked, a small smile growing on her face.

His focus still on the grill, he responded, "You're making small talk until I'm done grilling everything so that you have my undivided attention." The man was perceptive.

"Look, you claim you can multitask, and maybe you can, but I'm not going to repeat myself a million times because you can't hear me over the sound of the grill. 'Huh? What'd you say? Repeat that, Yongsun. One more time. I didn't hear you.'"

"Your impersonation of me is horrible."

"That's the point."

Lowering the grill's temperature, Eric exaggeratedly placed the tongs on the table's side and leaned closer to Yongsun, who was seated across the table from him. "I'm finished cooking your food. You now have my undivided attention, ma'am. Can you start with the story?"

"Gladly!" Although he rolled his eyes, Eric had to smile at Yongsun's cheeky response.

"Whatever friends you make at SNU are going to have their hands full with you."

"Me? Making friends? Sounds fake, but okay. Do you want a wrap?" She was already making one for him but needed to steer the conversation elsewhere. Having been busy with getting everything else in order, she hadn't yet thought about the fact that she'd be alone and friendless at SNU.

"Yes, please. And stop, you're going to make friends."

"If you say so," she responded skeptically. "Here's your wrap."

"Thank you. Here's some more rice wine," he placed a refilled cup in front of her. "Like I was saying, you'll make friends. It's grad school; the class sizes are smaller. You'll be around the same people every week, doing a bunch of group projects, it's only natural that you all will grow comfortable with each other. Trust me."

"I'd never."

"Yet you let me cook your food. You trust me with your life."

"I was watching you the entire time!"