Landing in Your Inbox

48 - let it snow

December 18, 2020 11:45 PM
Maibaum building, Gwanak, Seoul

The smell of cocoa and milk wafted in the kitchenette  as Jeong-hyeok whisked the ingredients into a pot on low heat. He poured more milk in the mixture after turning off the stove. The contents were transferred into two mugs which Seri volunteered to carry as Jeong-hyeok took his crutches.

Seri passed Jeong-hyeok his steaming mug on the sofa as soon as Jeong-hyeok was able to sit. Both watched the snow coat the city by the window. 

Jeong-hyeok turned to his seatmate, a hand's span separating them.  "Are you sure you're not hungry?"

Seri shook her head, "I'm tired and my head hurts. This is good enough for me." She brought the mug's rim to her lips for a sip, "See I already feel better." She showed through a smile.

Jeong-hyeok made a smirk. "If you feel cold you could take that blanket." He tipped his chin to a folded comforter to her left.

Seri followed his line of sight, "Do you sleep here?"

Jeong-hyeon nodded, pointing to the open winder stairs that lead to his and Kwang-beom's bedrooms. "It's inconvenient to climb the stairs, so I stay down here. But you can sleep up there tonight."

Seri snorted, "How ironic that I'm the one taking a guest room now..."

"It's not really a guest room, it's my room." Jeong-hyeok corrected.

"Yes but still..." Seri brought the mug to her lips again, channeling her disappointment with angry slurps of her cocoa. "This evening is not how I expected it to go after all the preparations I made."

Jeong-hyeok drank quietly. "I don't like it when things don't go my way either. But in the past few days, I've been reminded that there are things we don't have any control or choice...like the weather tonight or an overlooked damaged engine blade..."

Seri turned to him and at his bound foot, "Fair."

"We make the most out of our situation anyway." Jeong-hyeok said, eyes fixed on falling snow. "We have to, to live..." 

"'The winds of change take you to unexpected destinations.'"

Jeong-hyeok looked at her quizzically, "Where did you hear that?"

"Seo Dan's uncle..." Seri met his gaze, "I think you know him?"

"Ah, he's a long-time friend of my father. He visited me in the hospital."

"Is he the reason you and Dani met?"

Jeong-hyeok nodded. "They talked among themselves that we would make a good pair. My father told me to befriend her and we started spending time together then."

Seri sipped, "Did it progress to being more than friends?"

"She's a good friend." Jeong-hyeok answered, "We have the same taste in music. She's a good companion."

"I hear love can grow in arranged relationships." Seri mused.

Jeong-hyeok faced her briefly.

"That's what I was told too." 

"But it didn't for you?" She took a quick glance.

Jeong-hyeok cradled his mug. "I used to think there was something wrong with me. Seo Dan is a good, faithful woman, there is no reason why I would not have some affection. She's always been patient with me and I still feel sorry for that..."

Seri didn't know what made her curious more, the fact that he said 'used to' or the fact that he used the same description for Seo Dan three times.

She was charting an unknown territory but she couldn't get herself to stop, but she would attest that she tried her best to phrase her succeeding questions carefully. "Were your parents upset about the breakup?"