Memories of The Rain

Turn The Page in Life

"Eomma, we're done, aren't we? I need to go somewhere. Probably I'd be home quite late."

Most of the guests have left and there are my mother and her friends in a small reunion after Seung Ho's wedding banquet that afternoon. She asks her friends to pause whatever they're talking about, then she walks approaching me.

"Yes, but where are you going?" she asks.

"I have to meet someone, and maybe have dinner on our way home."

"Who? Where is your date? That CEO. Jin Ah! Who are you going to meet? Isn't he a good suitor, fit to be my son in law? Don't let him go away! Oh, are you going to meet Jun Hee? No! Don't!"

"Eomma, lower your voice, please! I assure you, he isn't Jun Hee."

"Then who?"

I don't want to tell my mother, worried that she's going to put too much hope and end up disappointed again. It's already hard for us to get along after the Jun Hee era.

"Yoo Jin Woo, one that I introduced to you this morning. Don't get your hopes too high, Mom, we're just friends. He's waiting for me, and he'd take me home later."

Mom turns her gaze to her friends then back to me. "Jin Ah, you have to know when it's time to turn the page. Ask him to come and get you here, to meet me or your Dad before he takes you out from here, it's more appropriate. I want you to start it the right way."

"Oh please, I'm thirty-three, not a teenager."

"But still that's the right thing to do. How old is he?"

I text Jin Woo that I'm done and he needs to come down and get me from the ballroom. "Thirty-seven, or thirty-eight."

And has married twice, if I may add, but probably not now.

Not long after, he comes down and I see him entering the ballroom. He has changed his outfit to a white shirt, black coat, and denim jeans. Looks more casual than this morning. I smile at him and mouth thank you. He nods, holds my hand, and we walk approaching my mother.

"Mrs. Yoon, excuse me for interrupting here, " he greets.

"Jin Woo! That you're here, come here! Ladies, meet Yoo Jin Woo, my daughter Jin Ah's boyfriend. Soon to be her husband!"

Oh. My. God.

I shut my eyes and bite my lips hard, avert my face down to my shoes. This is so embarrassing. Deep breathing. Inhale. Exhale. I hear Jin Woo chuckles and casually answers some questions from Mom's friends.

"Are you an actor, young man? You look like someone I saw on TV!" a friend of Mom asks.

"Sorry to disappoint, I'm not. Probably from a talk show? My company was featured in a business talk show recently."

"He is the CEO! He owns a game developer company!" Mom lowers her voice but loud enough to be heard from every corner of the ballroom.

"Are you Seung Ho's boss?" one of them asks. Seung Ho is working for a game developer company, but as I know, he doesn't work for Jin Woo.

"I'm not, but I hope that Seung Ho would consider joining my team, he's a real talent," I don't know whether Seung Ho really is talented or he simply wants to impress my Mom.

What an embarrassment. He throws a smile responding to the oooh sound from Mom's friends. Feeling like I wouldn't be able to suffer more embarrassment, I tap Mom's arm and tell her that Jin Woo is going to say something to her. Taking the cue, he clears his throat and asks her, "Mrs. Yoon, I'd like to take Jin Ah out for some coffee and dinner. Would that be okay?"