Corporate Strangers

The Ticket Thing

The aroma of roasted coffee beans filled the air as Seri stood from her bed and followed the scent towards the kitchen. She opted to at least fix her hair before exiting the room.

There stood Jeong Hyeok, brewing some coffee on two mugs. He was wearing a casual 3/4 sleeved fitted top and had loose cargo pants. You can't see the doctor in him. Not really the Chief-in-Surgery of Cardiothoracic at the moment.

"You're up." His baritone voice accompanied by his calm movements around the kitchen somehow soothed the hammering of Seri's head. She finally sat on one of the stools and studied him. "I made bean sprout soup," he added, tilting his head to the direction of the pot on the left side of the counter while his eyes were still fixed on stirring the coffee.

He nudged the first mug to her, nodding his head as a gesture that she can drink it by now. Seri took the mug and wrapped her palms around it, the heat warming up her cold skin. The taste felt more lively when someone does the coffee for her instead of herself. She lifted her head back to him with parted lips and mouthed a compliment to which made Jeong Hyeok smile in satisfaction.

"I know it's not much but I will make sure that this favor will be returned," he added, now making his steps to the pot and scooped a bowl for her. "It's the best soup for that hangover of yours."

"Thank you for this, Ri Jeong Hyeok-ssi. But I don't really mind getting something in return. It's really okay. No big deal." Seri reassured him. She sipped the coffee and took a spoon to have a taste from the bowl.

"Well, I'm not. Let me, okay?" Jeong Hyeok insisted as he watched her intently while focusing herself to the food in front of her.

"Fine. If that eases you." Seri hurriedly replied before bringing the spoon to her lips.

The first train from Zurich to Sigriswil were scheduled to leave by nine in the morning. Hundreds of locals flocked the station combined with overlapping announcements from the speakers as Seri and Jeong Hyeok made their way through the crowd.

By the time Jeong Hyeok reached the booth to purchase his ticket, the swiss man in charge blurted out,

"Ticket for two?"

"I'm sorry?" Jeong Hyeok asked with knitted eyebrows as he placed a bill at the counter, the words weren't really reaching his ears under all those public noise.

The man signaled two fingers and pointed his lips to Seri behind him, tapping something on her phone again.

"Oh, I don't think we're..." He stopped and glanced to her. He tries to remember if there was a time they actually agreed to go clearly together. Seri looked up at him, starting to get a little bit bothered and decided to peek at the man in charge behind his shoulders.

"You didn't bought our tickets yet?" she casually asked.

The subtle question was all he needed for a confirmation as Jeong Hyeok turned his attention back to the booth.

"I suppose, yes then. We'll take it." He said, adding a few more bills for a ticket of two.

The growl of the engines and the ring of the bells announced to everyone that the first train is finally leaving. Final calls on the speakers were being done once again.

Seri propped herself to the train's couch as Jeong Hyeok lifted both of their luggage to the top shelf of their first-class room. He then clapped his palms to get rid of the dust particles and returned to his seat facing Seri, the small table separating them in between.

"Try some. This will last us for two hours before we can get there," Seri said as she pushed a chocolate bar to his side. He took a look at the red plastic in front of him and watched her bite her own piece as her eyes marveled themselves at the breathtaking view of the fields and mountains in their window.