this day (pg) - joowon/raim
Joowon waits just below the step leading down to the underground garage. He tells himself he's not hiding, then draws a hand over his mouth.
He's totally hiding.
He knows today is not something Raim would remember. In all honesty, he himself was never one to keep track of days in relationships and he had never opened the application on his phone that counted down on hundred day anniversaries. That is to say, he had never done this until yesterday.
He imagined the application growing virtual mold and accumulating interweb dust inside of his phone. After all, it was the age of technology and no matter how much Raim loved all things analog, Joowon was not about to get pushed behind the times.
When he looks up, his secretary is looking at him oddly.
"Sajangnim..."
Joowon raises a hand and his secretary cowers away. Joowon wonders if he's seen the application open on his phone, announcing the fact that today was in fact their thousandth day as a couple.
*
Joowon has been kind enough to provide a car (all the better with him in it) to Raim, but she doesn't seem grateful at all.
"I told you not to send cars to my workplace" she says, insistence in her eyes as she looks straight at Joowon.
"But today was an especially hard stunt, so of course I would send a car when you're all tired out and ragged. Especially on a day like..."
"A day like what?" asks Raim.
Joowon stops talking as he looks at Raim blink with her huge eyes. Her lashes seem to sweep the very wind around her and Joowon is left staring for a while.
"Nothing" he says finally, then he sighs.
Sometimes, it was hard for Joowon to put in an effort to a woman who only knew romanticism as something in movies or songs or...in the form of an idiot named Oska.
*
They go home in almost silence. The whole time, Raim is on the phone with the Action School Director. They speak about the next project and, though Joowon has now accepted the fact that being a stunt woman is what Raim wants, he can't get used to the fact that the Director holds claim to almost the same time as Joowon does.
Joowon gives Raim the silent treatment when they arrive at Joowon's home, but Raim doesn't seem to notice.
"I'm so sweaty" she says, dusting off her jacket and pants. "I'm going to use the shower."
Without hearing what Joowon has to say, she saunters off, leaving Joowon in the large living room. He snorts in disbelief as he hears the turning of the shower faucet.
It is unfortunate that, at precisely that moment of Joowon's unsatisfied mood, Oska barges into the room.
"Yah! Have you seen my red leather boots? Have you? I think I lent them to you a year ago..."
Without even looking at Oska's face, Joowon speaks, "Hyung. First of all, why would I ever borrow red boots from you? Secondly, if they are a year old, why would you ever want them again when the trend has passed? It's not like you, so why don't you tell me the real reason you're here."
Only after he's finished does Joowon finally turn from the way Raim has gone and to Oska's face. Oska is smiling sheepishly.
"Actually, I was hoping Raim-sshi was here. You see she's stunting for a new project under Seul-ee's company and I just..."
Something clicks in Joowon's head then and he grabs at Oska's arm. The movement startles Oska and he stops talking.
"What are you doing? What's wrong?" Oska says regarding Joowon warily. "What is it?"
"Get your keyboard" Joowon says. "And prep your throat. You're going to be singing live tonight."
Joowon disappears to get ready himself and Oska is left floundering on his own in the living room.
"Live?" Oska asks to the empty space where Joowon had formerly stood. "Keyboard? Sing? Yah!"
*
When Raim comes out in a baggy t-shirt and shorts, Joowon almost wants to send Oska away. He feels it even more so when Raim dusts the water off her short hair with a small towel. It's sexy in the way that only his Raim can pull off. Joowon smirks.
The keyboard starts soft and Joowon can tell that Raim doesn't hear it until she's half way down the stairs. She pauses, clutching her towel closer to her, as Joowon watches from the shadow of the darkened kitchen. When Joowon hears her pad down to the living room floor, he lights the candles. And when Raim rounds the corner to see where the light is coming from, Oska starts singing.
There hadn't been much he had to work with, so all he has are a pile of Chocopies with candles stuck in them. But Raim smiles nevertheless. Joowon can feel Oska's voice getting louder as Oska strains his neck to see if the couple had met.
"Hyung" says Joowon, not taking his eyes off Raim's for a second. "Hyung!"
The singing stops and so does the keyboard accompaniment.
"Yeah?" comes Oska's voice, expectant. "Can I have my red boots n--"
"You can get out now."
*
Later when they've each taken a bite of Chocopie, Joowon leads Raim upstairs. Raim, a small smile on her face, plays along. But when they get to the foot of the bed, Raim grips Joowon's shoulders, slides her hips a certain way, then flips Joowon over and onto the bed.
Joowon blinks, looking up at Raim, dazed a bit. Raim is giving Joowon a playful little pout.
"To think you brought another man to our home on our thousandth day anniversary" she says in a low voice.
But Joowon catches it all and when a smile creeps onto both their faces, Joowon claps and the light goes off.