Corporate Strangers

The Memory Thing

"Do you listen to Debussy, Seri-ssi? "

"Ah yes, the French composer. Why, Ri Jeong Hyeok-ssi?"

"Then Victoria Jungfrau it is. Three in the afternoon. If I'm correct, a friend of mine will be performing later. It would be nice if you'd get to hear it" Jeong Hyeok replied upon remembering the piano recital of one of his Swiss friends.

"Victoria Jungfrau? That castle-like hotel?"

"Yes" he replied. He then caught Seri flashing him a smirk, as if finally figuring out that little plan of his for her. It wasn't really like that though.

"But.. that's not the place I'm showing you, Seri-ssi" Jeong Hyeok quickly and firmly added, trying to dismiss whatever her thoughts were brewing.

"Oh okay then, Ri Jeong Hyeok-ssi... I believe you." Seri reassured, still making that I-know-what-you're-thinking-about face, eliciting a small sigh from him.

The two strangers...No, friends. No, acquaintances. Wait, what even are they at this point?

Jeong Hyeok stood outside the white walls of Baren Hotel dressed in plain white shirt complete with dark blue denim slacks. After watching a few little stunts of butterflies fluttering at the hotel's garden, Seri finally came out. She wore a flowy, white long sleeves floral dress that highlighted her elegance, somehow complementing his.

After a few look of ups and downs on each other's presence the two found themselves utter something at the same time.

"I called an Uber--/ I bought train tickets--"

Awkward silence filled the air as they, too, halted on cue.

"I thought this was a formal event or something so I thought we'd go there by car" Seri immediately chimed in.

For Jeong Hyeok who is so used to these events attended by passion-driven audiences holding onto their wine glasses as the melodic notes decorated the ambience of the hall, he never really took 'highly' of something like this.

Instead, his mind simply focused on one reason.

"You loved watching the view from those windows." His voice, softer than usual and his gaze remained contact to her eyes, seemingly lost in there, as if emphasizing how wholesome her moment really was.

Taken aback, Seri's little speech stuck at the tip of her tongue, never reached his ears.

"What?" She simply replied as he too, finally got a hold of what he just said. He blinked his eyes in sudden realization.

"Responsibility. You said this was my responsibility. I noticed you quite enjoyed the train ride earlier so I thought maybe...you might want to go for it again." Jeong Hyeok explained as he was starting to feel himself catching his own breath.

The pristine melodies of Claire De Lune reverberated through the entire hall as Seri and Jeong Hyeok were situated at the same table, listening intently to his Swiss friend's performance.

"How did you knew someone like him, Ri Jeong Hyeok-ssi?" Seri asked leaning her head slightly besides him to whisper the question.

He tilted his head towards hers, his eyes fixated to the pianist in front as he responded, "We were in the same class when my mother signed me up for a piano lesson back then".

He received a nod and a slight hum of confirmation from her as she sat back and took a sip from the glass. The event finally came to an end and from one moment where they were peacefully sitting at the table, Seri found herself getting introduced by Jeong Hyeok to the man whom she have finally known as See Siang Wong. The three exchanged pleasantries inside the hall. Wong complimented her taste in fashion making Jeong Hyeok smile in agreement.