[ys] someone to watch over me
OR The 3 Times Seo Joo-hyun and Jung Yong-hwa Pretended to Be Together (And the 1 Time They Actually Were)
A/N: I think I've always had a soft spot for the fake boyfriend/girlfriend! trope. And also, I must be on some kind of roll lately. Enjoy the fic. :)
Un
The first time it happens, it’s a mistake.
There is a commotion in the living room of her flat and when she comes out, she sees Jung Yong-hwa leaning against the wall, nonchalantly watching a flurry of moving limbs that is her Tae-yeon unnie.
“What’s going on?”
Tae-yeon never falters, or pauses, hands moving efficiently to straighten the throw over their tattered couch, picking up coins that have been dumped on the side table. “What’s going on is my mother.” Her unnie straightens, looking straight at Seo-hyun with what can only be described as wild, hunted eyes. “She’s coming.”
Seo-hyun doesn’t need much more information than that; she steps into their messy living area, beginning to stack magazines in a corner and smoothing out the rug on the floor with her foot. She’s met Tae-yeon’s mother, many times while they were both still living in Jeon-ju. Although Tae-yeon’s mother treats her like a second daughter and she loves Tae-yeon’s mother dearly as well, she also knows what the woman is like: uptight, fussing, anxious.
In short, a mother.
“You didn’t tell her about…”
“No.” Tae-yeon finishes, even without hearing the tail-end of her question. There can be only one thing the two of them are referring to: that is the fact that the both of them are living in a co-ed apartment, instead of in a flat full of girls like both sets of parents back home in Jeon-ju think.
In their defense, rent in Seoul is astronomical and well, beggars can’t afford to be choosers, can they?
That doesn’t mean the news will go down well with their parents, and Seo-hyun quickly surveys the room once, making sure that it is reasonably tidy and that there is no incriminating evidence lying around whatsoever. “How are you going to explain the other rooms to her?”
“Simple.” Tae-yeon stands, hands on her hips, attempting to catch her breath. “I’ve closed the doors. I’ll just tell her the other girls don’t like people going through their things. I’ll show her your room instead, that should make her happy.”
Seo-hyun nods affirmatively. “How long more will she take?”
That is when Jung Yong-hwa decides to chime in, unhelpfully, from where he’s been watching this whole scene play out. “I don’t understand. What’s all this fuss about, Tae-yeon? Why didn’t you tell us your mother was here?”
Tae-yeon turns then and she stares, as if seeing Jung Yong-hwa, their fellow flatmate for the first time. “Oh my god. You can’t be here.”
Seo-hyun is already brushing past Yong-hwa, to close the door to his room, but that is when they all hear it: the chime of the doorbell.
Tae-yeon’s eyes are like saucers. “What do we do? Hide him?”
Seo-hyun shakes her head. Tae-yeon’s mother is surely going to stay for a while, and make dinner for the two of them. “What about the others? Did you text them?”
“I did,” Tae-yeon replies, frantically hopping up and down on the spot now. “Jong-hyun and Tiffany said they’d stay out. But what do we do about him?”
As if on some unspoken cue, the two of them look at Jung Yong-hwa, who is still indignantly oblivious. “What do you mean, what do you do about me?”
The doorbell peals through their apartment one more time, and the sound alone is enough to make Tae-yeon bury her head in her hands. “Oh god, I can’t take the stress. Why did she have to decide on a surprise visit to Seoul?”
“Open the door, unnie.” Seo-hyun shakes her head, trying to remain calm, to think quickly. “We’ll just have to make up something. Open the door.” She urges. “You know how your mom gets when you make her wait and you don’t want her to start wondering about why you took so long to answer, especially once she lays eyes on Yong-hwa oppa.”
Tae-yeon nods, taking in a huge breath as if to fortify herself and practically runs to the door. Seo-hyun casts a quick eye over their flatmate, hesitating, but quickly running a hand over the back of his hair where it’s standing up. He must have just woken up from a nap, but thankfully, he’s dressed normally, in a shirt and jeans instead of ratty pajamas. That should make it easier to explain his presence in the flat; they can say he’s just visiting. “Listen, Tae-yeon’s mother doesn’t know that we live in a co-ed flat. So whatever you do…”
“Seo-hyun ah!”
She inhales deeply, back facing to the door. “Just remember: you don’t live here.” She murmurs before turning around to smile brightly at the middle-aged woman, heading toward her with arms wide open. “Omonim.”
She lets herself get enfolded in an embrace, catching Tae-yeon unnie’s shaky smile over Mrs. Kim’s shoulder. “It’s so good to see you.”
But Mrs. Kim is no longer paying attention to her; her arms loosen, falling to her sides and Seo-hyun turns to see her looking at Yong-hwa, who immediately drops into a low bow with a smile. “Omo. I didn’t know… Who is this?”
Here it is then, the moment of truth.
She trades a look with Tae-yeon, effectively passing the baton of the lie onto her unnie.
Only, Tae-yeon unnie blurts out, “Oh. Omma. This is Jung Yong-hwa. He’s… He’s Seo-hyun’s boyfriend!”
Boyfriend?!
This time, it’s a furious look that she aims at Tae-yeon, who mouths a silent apology to her behind her mother’s back.
“Boyfriend?” Mrs. Kim echoes, looking back at Seo-hyun. “I didn’t know you dated, Seo-hyunie. Do your parents know?”
“Uh. No. They don’t.” She tries for a pleasant smile. “It’s… its new. We only started dating since…”
“Since 3 months ago.” Yong-hwa pipes up from where he is standing and Seo-hyun barely bites back an eye-roll, because Jung Yong-hwa only decides to be helpful now. Still, feeling some kind of lame obligation to Tae-yeon to keep up the lie, she moves to stand beside Yong-hwa, giving him a fierce side-eye which only prompts him to curl an arm around her neck, making them look like a couple. In return, she slides a hand up over his hip, fingers curling around the worn material of his T-shirt.
Do they look unnatural? She wonders desperately under the scrutinizing eye of Mrs. Kim. They must, surely.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting uri Seo-hyunie’s parents though.” Yong-hwa continues. “And of course, you, Tae-yeon’s omonim. I’ve heard so much about you from Seo-hyun, about how you’re practically a second mother to her.”
She jabs him in the side now, not so subtly, because he shouldn’t go overboard, but Mrs. Kim clasps her hands together, beaming at the compliment and Seo-hyun breathes out a tiny sigh of relief because Tae-yeon’s mother looks convinced. “Aigoo. Did you really say that, Seo-hyun?”
She nods quickly, forcing another smile, but Mrs. Kim has come up to the pair of them now, patting Yong-hwa on the shoulder lightly. “Well, its nice to meet you too, Yong-hwa. Won’t you join us for dinner?”
In accord, Tae-yeon’s and her eyes fly to him, silently begging, imploring him to refuse and leave, so that this lie will become all the more easy.
Instead, Jung Yong-hwa shrugs, showcasing that snaggletooth of his in an ear-splitting grin. “I haven’t had Jeon-ju bibimbap in a long time, Mrs. Kim. That would be great.”
The glares he gets from Tae-yeon and her are blinding, but none of that seems to faze him as he grins down at her, his arm firm and warm around her neck.
Deux
The second time it happens, it’s also a mistake. But it’s her mistake.
She is standing with Lee Jung-shin, picking through racks of cheap CDs since the music shop around the corner from their flat is having a weekend sale. Predictably, Yong-hwa dragged her and his friend, Jung-shin down to pick up some music and so she stands, watching idly as the taller guy picks through plastic cases of rock music.
The door tinkles, announcing the entrance of another customer, but she is too busy staring at the posters on the wall to pay attention. It is the sharp intake of breath from Jung-shin that snaps her back to attention. “What is it?”
“It’s her.”
Seo-hyun follows his line of sight, and then it is her turn for her eyebrows to lift. “It’s Min-ah. What’s she doing here?”
“More importantly, who is that?” Jung-shin whispers and for a moment, the two of them stare at the guy whom Min-ah’s arm is looped through.
“They don’t look like friends.”
Jung-shin snorts. “No, they definitely don’t.” He sighs, looking at Yong-hwa, who is currently paying for his purchases, his back turned to them and therefore blessedly unaware of the fact that his ex-girlfriend has just walked in, with what looks to be a new boyfriend in tow. “We should get Yong-hwa out of here.”
She watches the couple perusing at a shelf not too far from them, her gaze drifting back to Yong-hwa who accepts his bag from the cashier, turning around. It is only a matter of seconds, she thinks, and true to form, like a movie, she watches as Yong-hwa’s eyes, bright with the acquisition of new and cheap music, seeks them out first, waving. He takes a few steps towards them, but Min-ah chooses that very same moment to turn around and she watches as the light in his eye stutters and fades.
Yong-hwa and Min-ah have only been broken up for two months and even though Yong-hwa would rather die than admit it, Seo-hyun knows that Yong-hwa is still hurt by the sudden break-up, which came without much explanation.
It looks like the explanation is right in front of his eyes now.
“I think it’s too late for that.” She murmurs, and Jung-shin makes a sound of frustration between his teeth, as the two of them watch helplessly.
“Do you think we should go save him?” Jung-shin asks.
She bites her lip, tearing her eyes briefly away from Yong-hwa for a minute. “No. Best not. He has to do this on his own.”
Yet…
Yong-hwa’s hands are clasped in front of him, swinging the plastic bag of CDs in a bid of relieve himself of nervous energy. Seo-hyun suddenly notices that Min-ah’s arm is more tightly linked through her new boyfriend’s and whether intentional or not, that annoys her. She notes the way Yong-hwa can’t meet Min-ah’s eyes, the way his trademark grin is blindingly absent and the downcast slant in his eyes. She is too far away to hear what they are actually talking about, but it is the sight of Yong-hwa’s tiny, if non-existent bow to Min-ah’s new boyfriend and the way his lips barely move as if to introduce himself that sets her off.
She barely hears Jung-shin’s surprised, “Seo-hyun?” as she maneuvers her way toward the group of them and her body is literally outpacing her brain at this point-all she can hear is the thud of her heartbeat, drowning out all other sound in her ears.
She slides her hand into his, easily, quietly. “Hey.” She feels him jump slightly, surprised, and all eyes in the group turn to her, drawing the attention away from Yong-hwa oppa and she doesn’t let herself hide her smile. She looks up into Yong-hwa oppa’s eyes, hoping, praying that he’ll catch on. “Are you done?”
He nods, but there is still a hint of confusion in his eyes and she squeezes his hand a little tighter as if to urge him to play along.
“Seo-hyun ssi?” Yong-hwa is not the only confused one; she turns to see Min-ah looking straight at her, bewildered. The younger girl’s eyes zoom straight to their clasped hands, just like she hoped.
“Oh, Min-ah ssi. I didn’t see you.” It’s a bad lie, and she’s pretty sure all of them know it, but she manages to sound as breezy and unconcerned as possible. “Here for the sale too?”
Min-ah nods, and for a moment, Seo-hyun is sure that she can see the younger girl’s chin tremble, eyes falling to her hand in Yong-hwa’s, questions about their status practically rolling off her body.
Well, Seo-hyun won’t give her that satisfaction today.
“We picked up some really good deals today.” She confides, purposely ignoring the question that is burning in Min-ah’s eyes. “Plus there’s an extra ten percent discount because the owner knows oppa. Wasn’t that great?”
She directs the last question to Yong-hwa, turning up her face to him and unexpectedly, her heart warms at the look in his eyes. The confusion is dimmed; he must have caught on, but there is something grateful and sweet in the way that he studies her face and in spite of herself, she looks away, biting her lip. “Yeah. It’s great.”
She looks up then, meeting Min-ah’s eyes head on. “Well it was nice running into you, Min-ah. We should go now though, we don’t want to be late for our reservations to Carousel.” She names a nearby restaurant that has the reputation of being somewhat ritzy, and if its possible, the younger girl’s eyes widen even more as she breathes in sharply. Seo-hyun merely smiles; how many times has Yong-hwa complained to her about Min-ah’s whining for him to bring her to Carousel, only for him to refuse, seeing as he never saw the point in spending that much money on dinner?
Now she knows she’s being mean, but she’s actually kind of enjoying the look on Min-ah’s face and she loops her arm through Yong-hwa’s, mirroring the other girl. “See you.”
She tugs Yong-hwa away, and briefly, she can see Jung-shin staring at the pair of them like they’ve just grown two heads, but she looks back up at Yong-hwa. “Do you think she believed us?”
He is still staring down at her with that inscrutable expression in place on his face and vaguely, she can feel the first pangs of nervousness unfurling in her heart. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She demands.
He shakes his head, as if coming out of some reverie, pressing his lips together tightly but she notes that his eyes never leave hers, not for a minute. “Nothing.”
Trois
The third time it happens, it’s still a mistake.
Only, it’s his mistake.
Tiffany unnie had landed a secondary role in an upcoming musical after months and months of going to auditions and all of them are out at the local club, celebrating.
Usually, she hates going out to clubs. The music is too loud, there are too many people and she never drinks. But it is Tiffany unnie’s night, and she smiles softly as she catches sight of her unnie dancing with her boyfriend, Nich-khun, head thrown back in laughter. Tae-yeon and Jong-hyun are probably somewhere on the dance floor too, only she can’t see them, and she takes a sip of her margarita to hide the smile when she recalls how Tae-yeon had literally spent the past twenty minutes cajoling Jong-hyun into dancing with her.
To be fair, neither Yong-hwa oppa nor Jong-hyun are particularly good at dancing and that thought only sets off a certain memory of the two of them, drunk at Christmas, dancing to Wonder Girls and she chuckles.
“What’s the joke?”
She jumps, startled, lifting her eyes to the source of the voice. It is a guy with dark hair that flops forward into his eyes, carefully waxed to look casually rumpled. He holds a beer in his hand, but the smile on his face is pleasant, if not slightly hopeful and she notices a dimple, deep on his right cheek. “Mind if I join you?”
She looks over her shoulder briefly. Yong-hwa oppa had been sitting with her at the bar, until he’d claimed a stomachache and headed off to the toilet. That was twenty minutes ago, and although she’s slightly leery of making conversation with a stranger, there’s only so many times she can pull out her phone and text Hyo-yeon in a bid to look occupied. She lifts a shoulder, nodding at the seat. “Please.”
He seats himself, leaning his elbows on the bar and in the dim light of the club, she gives him the quick once-over. He’s cute, she thinks. It’s the small eyes and the dimples that gives him that boyish, endearing look.
As if feeling her eyes on him, he turns to her, offering his hand. “I’m sorry. I’m Jin-woon. Jung Jin-woon.”
He has an eye smile, just like Tiffany unnie, and with a smile of her own, she takes his hand. He has a firm handshake, which she appreciates. She hates it when people barely clasp her hands, or give her those limp handshakes that make her think of a dead fish. “I’m Seo-hyun.” She gives him the name she usually introduces herself to strangers with.
“Nice to meet you, Seo-hyun.” Jin-woon folds his arms on the bar, angling himself to face her. “Are you here alone?”
She raises her eyebrows, and as if realizing what he said, he slaps a hand to his forehead ruefully. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant…”
She holds a hand up, cutting off his babbling. It’s kind of cute actually. “It’s okay.” She gives him a calm smile so that he knows she didn’t take any offense. “No. I’m here with friends, but they’re out dancing.”
“You don’t like dancing?”
She shrugs. “I’m okay. I generally don’t really like any of this, coming to a club. But I’m here to celebrate with my flatmates. My unnie got casted in a musical, which is a huge deal.”
“That’s great!” Jin-woon actually looks sincerely interested in what she has to say, as opposed to the other guys who have come up to her, baldly attempting to hit on her with bad pick-up lines and invitations to dance, melting away immediately when she turns them down. “Which musical is it?”
They start talking, and to her surprise, Jin-woon is good company. He listens intently to her stories of her work at the embassy, makes her laugh with funny anecdotes of his experiences working as creative director of a well-known magazine in Seoul. Most of all, he is polite and respectful; he has to lean over to shout into her ear at times, but he keeps his hands to himself, never letting them brush over her legs ‘accidentally’ and she appreciates him for that.
At some point, Jin-woon nods towards her empty glass. “Do you want another? I can call the bartender over.”
She shakes her head, but he gestures at her with his own empty beer bottle. “It’s cool. I need a refill too.”
But before Jin-woon can even signal to the bartender, there is suddenly an arm around her neck, and a familiar whiff of cologne and before she knows it, she is looking up into the face of Jung Yong-hwa. “There you are, babe. I’m sorry. There was a line for the bathroom.”
She wants to splutter up at him; who does he think he is, and did he really just call her “babe”?
His face is unusually close to hers; if she turned her head properly, his lips would brush her temple and she attempts to wriggle away from him but his fingers are firm on her bare shoulder now, holding her in place. Yong-hwa oppa isn’t looking at her now though; he and Jin-woon are obviously sizing one another up. “Who’s this, Joo-hyun?”
She darts a look at Jin-woon, who flinches a little upon hearing her real name and she feels a sudden prickle of inexplicable shame. It’s not like she lied and even so, its her prerogative if she wanted to tell someone her real name or not, but she still feels embarrassed and in some way, sorry to Jin-woon. “Oppa. This is Jin-woon.”
“Nice to meet you.” Yong-hwa drawls. “I’m Yong-hwa. Seo-hyun’s boyfriend.”
She knows her mouth is slightly agape and she shoots a look at Yong-hwa oppa, who in moments like this, becomes entirely impervious to dirty looks. “Thanks for keeping my girlfriend occupied while I was gone.”
Jin-woon stands up, and she feels even worse, just looking at him. He looks like a kicked puppy, though he tries (and fails) to cover it up with a pleasant, friendly smile like nothing is wrong. “It’s okay. It was really nice to meet you, Seo-hyun.”
She opens her mouth to protest, to say that Yong-hwa oppa isn’t her boyfriend, just her crazy, deranged flatmate who she doesn’t know at all, but Jin-woon is gone, disappearing into the crowd of bodies and then she is fuming, turning on Yong-hwa oppa. “What was that?!”
Yong-hwa oppa looks completely unconcerned, re-taking his old seat and gesturing for a beer. “You should be thanking me for getting rid of him for you. You’re really too nice to guys, Seo-hyun ah.”
His words only infuriate her further, and her fingers curl into an angry fist on top of the bar. She will not punch Jung Yong-hwa, no matter how much she wants to. “I didn’t want you to get rid of him.” She grits out between her teeth. “What if I actually appreciated his company?”
Yong-hwa swigs from his beer, wiping his lips with the back of his hand, but his eyes register faint surprise at her words as he looks down at her. “What? You mean you actually liked him?” He lets out a short chuckle that is anything but genuine, not looking at her. “That’s your type, Joo-hyun? Seriously. You can do so much better than that.”
He is really putting his foot in his mouth tonight, she thinks. “Don’t call me Joo-hyun.” She enunciates each word coldly so he knows how pissed she is. “And what if he is my type? That’s none of your business. We’re not even dating, so I’d appreciate it if you stopped going around masquerading as my boyfriend!”
Its only when she stops for breath that she realizes how worked up she is, but it’s the look in his eyes that takes away the heat of her anger. He’s hurt, she realizes quite suddenly, and then it is cold curiosity, bewilderment that is seeping in, dousing her sudden righteous fury. Why…
Yong-hwa makes a sound, deep in his throat, and he stands before she can puzzle out the emotions behind his eyes. “Well then. I guess I’ll just leave you be. After all, I’m not your boyfriend and you definitely don’t need me to sit here and fend off all the other boys for you.”
His name dies in her throat as she watches him weave through the crowd and she sinks back into her seat, wondering why she feels so guilty when it’s so obviously his fault.
Quatre
The fourth time, it’s not a mistake anymore. (Well, it kind of is. Only it isn’t either of their mistake.)
The ahjumma brings over the pot of tteokbokki with a good-natured grin, setting it on the portable stove and turning on the fire for them. “I put in lots of cheese.” She explains in her heavy Busan accent, beaming at the pair of them, reaching to pinch Yong-hwa’s cheek. “This boy likes it a lot, aigoo.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Shim.” Yong-hwa grins back in return, falling back easily into his old accent. “Seoul tteokbokki has nothing on yours. Jinja.”
Mrs. Shim’s grin widens, if that’s even possible, and Seo-hyun bites back a smile. Yong-hwa oppa has a way of sweet-talking ahjummas and Mrs. Shim is no exception as she steps back, surveying the two of them. “Aigoo. What a cute couple you two make. Yong-hwa yah, your mother must be so happy that you have such a good girlfriend.”
Seo-hyun opens her mouth to protest that they aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend; this is just a date but Yong-hwa beats her to it. “Tell me about it, Mrs. Shim. Sometimes you’d think our Joo-hyun here is my mother’s daughter and I’m the distant cousin twice removed.” He pauses to place his hand on his forehead dramatically and Mrs. Shim smacks Yong-hwa on the shoulder, obviously used to Yong-hwa oppa’s tendencies for theatrics, shaking her head at his words but leaving them to their meal.
“Look how everyone keeps saying how we’d make a cute couple. Face it, Joo-hyun.” Yong-hwa is confident, his chest puffed up in pride. Any minute now, she thinks with some amused exasperation, he's going to start crowing like a rooster. “We’re meant to be together.”
She wrinkles her nose at his cheesy line. “Ey, oppa.” She takes the ladle, swirling the red sauce around evenly. “We’re not even actually together.”
His hand covers hers, jostling the pot slightly, and she looks up at him with a slight frown. “Don’t wound me like that, Seo Joo-hyun. What is this? A boy and a girl, having a meal together, alone…” His cheeky smile is back in full force. “Don’t try to tell me this isn’t a date. If it walks like a chicken, clucks like a chicken, smells like a chicken…”
She sighs, disengaging her hand from his but inside, she is smiling, grinning in the way she always seems to do when she’s around him. “I don’t think you can actually smell a chicken, oppa,” She points out to his returning eye-roll, “But fine. It’s a date.” She admits, not looking at him so she won’t have to see the smug satisfaction in his smile though she continues quickly, “But we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend. We're not.”
“Not yet.” He corrects her, and his smile is knowing, tender and she doesn’t even bother to try to hide her own answering smile.
“But I can’t wait for that day, Seo Joo-hyun.”
A/N: I think I've always had a soft spot for the fake boyfriend/girlfriend! trope. And also, I must be on some kind of roll lately. Enjoy the fic. :)
Un
The first time it happens, it’s a mistake.
There is a commotion in the living room of her flat and when she comes out, she sees Jung Yong-hwa leaning against the wall, nonchalantly watching a flurry of moving limbs that is her Tae-yeon unnie.
“What’s going on?”
Tae-yeon never falters, or pauses, hands moving efficiently to straighten the throw over their tattered couch, picking up coins that have been dumped on the side table. “What’s going on is my mother.” Her unnie straightens, looking straight at Seo-hyun with what can only be described as wild, hunted eyes. “She’s coming.”
Seo-hyun doesn’t need much more information than that; she steps into their messy living area, beginning to stack magazines in a corner and smoothing out the rug on the floor with her foot. She’s met Tae-yeon’s mother, many times while they were both still living in Jeon-ju. Although Tae-yeon’s mother treats her like a second daughter and she loves Tae-yeon’s mother dearly as well, she also knows what the woman is like: uptight, fussing, anxious.
In short, a mother.
“You didn’t tell her about…”
“No.” Tae-yeon finishes, even without hearing the tail-end of her question. There can be only one thing the two of them are referring to: that is the fact that the both of them are living in a co-ed apartment, instead of in a flat full of girls like both sets of parents back home in Jeon-ju think.
In their defense, rent in Seoul is astronomical and well, beggars can’t afford to be choosers, can they?
That doesn’t mean the news will go down well with their parents, and Seo-hyun quickly surveys the room once, making sure that it is reasonably tidy and that there is no incriminating evidence lying around whatsoever. “How are you going to explain the other rooms to her?”
“Simple.” Tae-yeon stands, hands on her hips, attempting to catch her breath. “I’ve closed the doors. I’ll just tell her the other girls don’t like people going through their things. I’ll show her your room instead, that should make her happy.”
Seo-hyun nods affirmatively. “How long more will she take?”
That is when Jung Yong-hwa decides to chime in, unhelpfully, from where he’s been watching this whole scene play out. “I don’t understand. What’s all this fuss about, Tae-yeon? Why didn’t you tell us your mother was here?”
Tae-yeon turns then and she stares, as if seeing Jung Yong-hwa, their fellow flatmate for the first time. “Oh my god. You can’t be here.”
Seo-hyun is already brushing past Yong-hwa, to close the door to his room, but that is when they all hear it: the chime of the doorbell.
Tae-yeon’s eyes are like saucers. “What do we do? Hide him?”
Seo-hyun shakes her head. Tae-yeon’s mother is surely going to stay for a while, and make dinner for the two of them. “What about the others? Did you text them?”
“I did,” Tae-yeon replies, frantically hopping up and down on the spot now. “Jong-hyun and Tiffany said they’d stay out. But what do we do about him?”
As if on some unspoken cue, the two of them look at Jung Yong-hwa, who is still indignantly oblivious. “What do you mean, what do you do about me?”
The doorbell peals through their apartment one more time, and the sound alone is enough to make Tae-yeon bury her head in her hands. “Oh god, I can’t take the stress. Why did she have to decide on a surprise visit to Seoul?”
“Open the door, unnie.” Seo-hyun shakes her head, trying to remain calm, to think quickly. “We’ll just have to make up something. Open the door.” She urges. “You know how your mom gets when you make her wait and you don’t want her to start wondering about why you took so long to answer, especially once she lays eyes on Yong-hwa oppa.”
Tae-yeon nods, taking in a huge breath as if to fortify herself and practically runs to the door. Seo-hyun casts a quick eye over their flatmate, hesitating, but quickly running a hand over the back of his hair where it’s standing up. He must have just woken up from a nap, but thankfully, he’s dressed normally, in a shirt and jeans instead of ratty pajamas. That should make it easier to explain his presence in the flat; they can say he’s just visiting. “Listen, Tae-yeon’s mother doesn’t know that we live in a co-ed flat. So whatever you do…”
“Seo-hyun ah!”
She inhales deeply, back facing to the door. “Just remember: you don’t live here.” She murmurs before turning around to smile brightly at the middle-aged woman, heading toward her with arms wide open. “Omonim.”
She lets herself get enfolded in an embrace, catching Tae-yeon unnie’s shaky smile over Mrs. Kim’s shoulder. “It’s so good to see you.”
But Mrs. Kim is no longer paying attention to her; her arms loosen, falling to her sides and Seo-hyun turns to see her looking at Yong-hwa, who immediately drops into a low bow with a smile. “Omo. I didn’t know… Who is this?”
Here it is then, the moment of truth.
She trades a look with Tae-yeon, effectively passing the baton of the lie onto her unnie.
Only, Tae-yeon unnie blurts out, “Oh. Omma. This is Jung Yong-hwa. He’s… He’s Seo-hyun’s boyfriend!”
Boyfriend?!
This time, it’s a furious look that she aims at Tae-yeon, who mouths a silent apology to her behind her mother’s back.
“Boyfriend?” Mrs. Kim echoes, looking back at Seo-hyun. “I didn’t know you dated, Seo-hyunie. Do your parents know?”
“Uh. No. They don’t.” She tries for a pleasant smile. “It’s… its new. We only started dating since…”
“Since 3 months ago.” Yong-hwa pipes up from where he is standing and Seo-hyun barely bites back an eye-roll, because Jung Yong-hwa only decides to be helpful now. Still, feeling some kind of lame obligation to Tae-yeon to keep up the lie, she moves to stand beside Yong-hwa, giving him a fierce side-eye which only prompts him to curl an arm around her neck, making them look like a couple. In return, she slides a hand up over his hip, fingers curling around the worn material of his T-shirt.
Do they look unnatural? She wonders desperately under the scrutinizing eye of Mrs. Kim. They must, surely.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting uri Seo-hyunie’s parents though.” Yong-hwa continues. “And of course, you, Tae-yeon’s omonim. I’ve heard so much about you from Seo-hyun, about how you’re practically a second mother to her.”
She jabs him in the side now, not so subtly, because he shouldn’t go overboard, but Mrs. Kim clasps her hands together, beaming at the compliment and Seo-hyun breathes out a tiny sigh of relief because Tae-yeon’s mother looks convinced. “Aigoo. Did you really say that, Seo-hyun?”
She nods quickly, forcing another smile, but Mrs. Kim has come up to the pair of them now, patting Yong-hwa on the shoulder lightly. “Well, its nice to meet you too, Yong-hwa. Won’t you join us for dinner?”
In accord, Tae-yeon’s and her eyes fly to him, silently begging, imploring him to refuse and leave, so that this lie will become all the more easy.
Instead, Jung Yong-hwa shrugs, showcasing that snaggletooth of his in an ear-splitting grin. “I haven’t had Jeon-ju bibimbap in a long time, Mrs. Kim. That would be great.”
The glares he gets from Tae-yeon and her are blinding, but none of that seems to faze him as he grins down at her, his arm firm and warm around her neck.
Deux
The second time it happens, it’s also a mistake. But it’s her mistake.
She is standing with Lee Jung-shin, picking through racks of cheap CDs since the music shop around the corner from their flat is having a weekend sale. Predictably, Yong-hwa dragged her and his friend, Jung-shin down to pick up some music and so she stands, watching idly as the taller guy picks through plastic cases of rock music.
The door tinkles, announcing the entrance of another customer, but she is too busy staring at the posters on the wall to pay attention. It is the sharp intake of breath from Jung-shin that snaps her back to attention. “What is it?”
“It’s her.”
Seo-hyun follows his line of sight, and then it is her turn for her eyebrows to lift. “It’s Min-ah. What’s she doing here?”
“More importantly, who is that?” Jung-shin whispers and for a moment, the two of them stare at the guy whom Min-ah’s arm is looped through.
“They don’t look like friends.”
Jung-shin snorts. “No, they definitely don’t.” He sighs, looking at Yong-hwa, who is currently paying for his purchases, his back turned to them and therefore blessedly unaware of the fact that his ex-girlfriend has just walked in, with what looks to be a new boyfriend in tow. “We should get Yong-hwa out of here.”
She watches the couple perusing at a shelf not too far from them, her gaze drifting back to Yong-hwa who accepts his bag from the cashier, turning around. It is only a matter of seconds, she thinks, and true to form, like a movie, she watches as Yong-hwa’s eyes, bright with the acquisition of new and cheap music, seeks them out first, waving. He takes a few steps towards them, but Min-ah chooses that very same moment to turn around and she watches as the light in his eye stutters and fades.
Yong-hwa and Min-ah have only been broken up for two months and even though Yong-hwa would rather die than admit it, Seo-hyun knows that Yong-hwa is still hurt by the sudden break-up, which came without much explanation.
It looks like the explanation is right in front of his eyes now.
“I think it’s too late for that.” She murmurs, and Jung-shin makes a sound of frustration between his teeth, as the two of them watch helplessly.
“Do you think we should go save him?” Jung-shin asks.
She bites her lip, tearing her eyes briefly away from Yong-hwa for a minute. “No. Best not. He has to do this on his own.”
Yet…
Yong-hwa’s hands are clasped in front of him, swinging the plastic bag of CDs in a bid of relieve himself of nervous energy. Seo-hyun suddenly notices that Min-ah’s arm is more tightly linked through her new boyfriend’s and whether intentional or not, that annoys her. She notes the way Yong-hwa can’t meet Min-ah’s eyes, the way his trademark grin is blindingly absent and the downcast slant in his eyes. She is too far away to hear what they are actually talking about, but it is the sight of Yong-hwa’s tiny, if non-existent bow to Min-ah’s new boyfriend and the way his lips barely move as if to introduce himself that sets her off.
She barely hears Jung-shin’s surprised, “Seo-hyun?” as she maneuvers her way toward the group of them and her body is literally outpacing her brain at this point-all she can hear is the thud of her heartbeat, drowning out all other sound in her ears.
She slides her hand into his, easily, quietly. “Hey.” She feels him jump slightly, surprised, and all eyes in the group turn to her, drawing the attention away from Yong-hwa oppa and she doesn’t let herself hide her smile. She looks up into Yong-hwa oppa’s eyes, hoping, praying that he’ll catch on. “Are you done?”
He nods, but there is still a hint of confusion in his eyes and she squeezes his hand a little tighter as if to urge him to play along.
“Seo-hyun ssi?” Yong-hwa is not the only confused one; she turns to see Min-ah looking straight at her, bewildered. The younger girl’s eyes zoom straight to their clasped hands, just like she hoped.
“Oh, Min-ah ssi. I didn’t see you.” It’s a bad lie, and she’s pretty sure all of them know it, but she manages to sound as breezy and unconcerned as possible. “Here for the sale too?”
Min-ah nods, and for a moment, Seo-hyun is sure that she can see the younger girl’s chin tremble, eyes falling to her hand in Yong-hwa’s, questions about their status practically rolling off her body.
Well, Seo-hyun won’t give her that satisfaction today.
“We picked up some really good deals today.” She confides, purposely ignoring the question that is burning in Min-ah’s eyes. “Plus there’s an extra ten percent discount because the owner knows oppa. Wasn’t that great?”
She directs the last question to Yong-hwa, turning up her face to him and unexpectedly, her heart warms at the look in his eyes. The confusion is dimmed; he must have caught on, but there is something grateful and sweet in the way that he studies her face and in spite of herself, she looks away, biting her lip. “Yeah. It’s great.”
She looks up then, meeting Min-ah’s eyes head on. “Well it was nice running into you, Min-ah. We should go now though, we don’t want to be late for our reservations to Carousel.” She names a nearby restaurant that has the reputation of being somewhat ritzy, and if its possible, the younger girl’s eyes widen even more as she breathes in sharply. Seo-hyun merely smiles; how many times has Yong-hwa complained to her about Min-ah’s whining for him to bring her to Carousel, only for him to refuse, seeing as he never saw the point in spending that much money on dinner?
Now she knows she’s being mean, but she’s actually kind of enjoying the look on Min-ah’s face and she loops her arm through Yong-hwa’s, mirroring the other girl. “See you.”
She tugs Yong-hwa away, and briefly, she can see Jung-shin staring at the pair of them like they’ve just grown two heads, but she looks back up at Yong-hwa. “Do you think she believed us?”
He is still staring down at her with that inscrutable expression in place on his face and vaguely, she can feel the first pangs of nervousness unfurling in her heart. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She demands.
He shakes his head, as if coming out of some reverie, pressing his lips together tightly but she notes that his eyes never leave hers, not for a minute. “Nothing.”
Trois
The third time it happens, it’s still a mistake.
Only, it’s his mistake.
Tiffany unnie had landed a secondary role in an upcoming musical after months and months of going to auditions and all of them are out at the local club, celebrating.
Usually, she hates going out to clubs. The music is too loud, there are too many people and she never drinks. But it is Tiffany unnie’s night, and she smiles softly as she catches sight of her unnie dancing with her boyfriend, Nich-khun, head thrown back in laughter. Tae-yeon and Jong-hyun are probably somewhere on the dance floor too, only she can’t see them, and she takes a sip of her margarita to hide the smile when she recalls how Tae-yeon had literally spent the past twenty minutes cajoling Jong-hyun into dancing with her.
To be fair, neither Yong-hwa oppa nor Jong-hyun are particularly good at dancing and that thought only sets off a certain memory of the two of them, drunk at Christmas, dancing to Wonder Girls and she chuckles.
“What’s the joke?”
She jumps, startled, lifting her eyes to the source of the voice. It is a guy with dark hair that flops forward into his eyes, carefully waxed to look casually rumpled. He holds a beer in his hand, but the smile on his face is pleasant, if not slightly hopeful and she notices a dimple, deep on his right cheek. “Mind if I join you?”
She looks over her shoulder briefly. Yong-hwa oppa had been sitting with her at the bar, until he’d claimed a stomachache and headed off to the toilet. That was twenty minutes ago, and although she’s slightly leery of making conversation with a stranger, there’s only so many times she can pull out her phone and text Hyo-yeon in a bid to look occupied. She lifts a shoulder, nodding at the seat. “Please.”
He seats himself, leaning his elbows on the bar and in the dim light of the club, she gives him the quick once-over. He’s cute, she thinks. It’s the small eyes and the dimples that gives him that boyish, endearing look.
As if feeling her eyes on him, he turns to her, offering his hand. “I’m sorry. I’m Jin-woon. Jung Jin-woon.”
He has an eye smile, just like Tiffany unnie, and with a smile of her own, she takes his hand. He has a firm handshake, which she appreciates. She hates it when people barely clasp her hands, or give her those limp handshakes that make her think of a dead fish. “I’m Seo-hyun.” She gives him the name she usually introduces herself to strangers with.
“Nice to meet you, Seo-hyun.” Jin-woon folds his arms on the bar, angling himself to face her. “Are you here alone?”
She raises her eyebrows, and as if realizing what he said, he slaps a hand to his forehead ruefully. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant…”
She holds a hand up, cutting off his babbling. It’s kind of cute actually. “It’s okay.” She gives him a calm smile so that he knows she didn’t take any offense. “No. I’m here with friends, but they’re out dancing.”
“You don’t like dancing?”
She shrugs. “I’m okay. I generally don’t really like any of this, coming to a club. But I’m here to celebrate with my flatmates. My unnie got casted in a musical, which is a huge deal.”
“That’s great!” Jin-woon actually looks sincerely interested in what she has to say, as opposed to the other guys who have come up to her, baldly attempting to hit on her with bad pick-up lines and invitations to dance, melting away immediately when she turns them down. “Which musical is it?”
They start talking, and to her surprise, Jin-woon is good company. He listens intently to her stories of her work at the embassy, makes her laugh with funny anecdotes of his experiences working as creative director of a well-known magazine in Seoul. Most of all, he is polite and respectful; he has to lean over to shout into her ear at times, but he keeps his hands to himself, never letting them brush over her legs ‘accidentally’ and she appreciates him for that.
At some point, Jin-woon nods towards her empty glass. “Do you want another? I can call the bartender over.”
She shakes her head, but he gestures at her with his own empty beer bottle. “It’s cool. I need a refill too.”
But before Jin-woon can even signal to the bartender, there is suddenly an arm around her neck, and a familiar whiff of cologne and before she knows it, she is looking up into the face of Jung Yong-hwa. “There you are, babe. I’m sorry. There was a line for the bathroom.”
She wants to splutter up at him; who does he think he is, and did he really just call her “babe”?
His face is unusually close to hers; if she turned her head properly, his lips would brush her temple and she attempts to wriggle away from him but his fingers are firm on her bare shoulder now, holding her in place. Yong-hwa oppa isn’t looking at her now though; he and Jin-woon are obviously sizing one another up. “Who’s this, Joo-hyun?”
She darts a look at Jin-woon, who flinches a little upon hearing her real name and she feels a sudden prickle of inexplicable shame. It’s not like she lied and even so, its her prerogative if she wanted to tell someone her real name or not, but she still feels embarrassed and in some way, sorry to Jin-woon. “Oppa. This is Jin-woon.”
“Nice to meet you.” Yong-hwa drawls. “I’m Yong-hwa. Seo-hyun’s boyfriend.”
She knows her mouth is slightly agape and she shoots a look at Yong-hwa oppa, who in moments like this, becomes entirely impervious to dirty looks. “Thanks for keeping my girlfriend occupied while I was gone.”
Jin-woon stands up, and she feels even worse, just looking at him. He looks like a kicked puppy, though he tries (and fails) to cover it up with a pleasant, friendly smile like nothing is wrong. “It’s okay. It was really nice to meet you, Seo-hyun.”
She opens her mouth to protest, to say that Yong-hwa oppa isn’t her boyfriend, just her crazy, deranged flatmate who she doesn’t know at all, but Jin-woon is gone, disappearing into the crowd of bodies and then she is fuming, turning on Yong-hwa oppa. “What was that?!”
Yong-hwa oppa looks completely unconcerned, re-taking his old seat and gesturing for a beer. “You should be thanking me for getting rid of him for you. You’re really too nice to guys, Seo-hyun ah.”
His words only infuriate her further, and her fingers curl into an angry fist on top of the bar. She will not punch Jung Yong-hwa, no matter how much she wants to. “I didn’t want you to get rid of him.” She grits out between her teeth. “What if I actually appreciated his company?”
Yong-hwa swigs from his beer, wiping his lips with the back of his hand, but his eyes register faint surprise at her words as he looks down at her. “What? You mean you actually liked him?” He lets out a short chuckle that is anything but genuine, not looking at her. “That’s your type, Joo-hyun? Seriously. You can do so much better than that.”
He is really putting his foot in his mouth tonight, she thinks. “Don’t call me Joo-hyun.” She enunciates each word coldly so he knows how pissed she is. “And what if he is my type? That’s none of your business. We’re not even dating, so I’d appreciate it if you stopped going around masquerading as my boyfriend!”
Its only when she stops for breath that she realizes how worked up she is, but it’s the look in his eyes that takes away the heat of her anger. He’s hurt, she realizes quite suddenly, and then it is cold curiosity, bewilderment that is seeping in, dousing her sudden righteous fury. Why…
Yong-hwa makes a sound, deep in his throat, and he stands before she can puzzle out the emotions behind his eyes. “Well then. I guess I’ll just leave you be. After all, I’m not your boyfriend and you definitely don’t need me to sit here and fend off all the other boys for you.”
His name dies in her throat as she watches him weave through the crowd and she sinks back into her seat, wondering why she feels so guilty when it’s so obviously his fault.
Quatre
The fourth time, it’s not a mistake anymore. (Well, it kind of is. Only it isn’t either of their mistake.)
The ahjumma brings over the pot of tteokbokki with a good-natured grin, setting it on the portable stove and turning on the fire for them. “I put in lots of cheese.” She explains in her heavy Busan accent, beaming at the pair of them, reaching to pinch Yong-hwa’s cheek. “This boy likes it a lot, aigoo.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Shim.” Yong-hwa grins back in return, falling back easily into his old accent. “Seoul tteokbokki has nothing on yours. Jinja.”
Mrs. Shim’s grin widens, if that’s even possible, and Seo-hyun bites back a smile. Yong-hwa oppa has a way of sweet-talking ahjummas and Mrs. Shim is no exception as she steps back, surveying the two of them. “Aigoo. What a cute couple you two make. Yong-hwa yah, your mother must be so happy that you have such a good girlfriend.”
Seo-hyun opens her mouth to protest that they aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend; this is just a date but Yong-hwa beats her to it. “Tell me about it, Mrs. Shim. Sometimes you’d think our Joo-hyun here is my mother’s daughter and I’m the distant cousin twice removed.” He pauses to place his hand on his forehead dramatically and Mrs. Shim smacks Yong-hwa on the shoulder, obviously used to Yong-hwa oppa’s tendencies for theatrics, shaking her head at his words but leaving them to their meal.
“Look how everyone keeps saying how we’d make a cute couple. Face it, Joo-hyun.” Yong-hwa is confident, his chest puffed up in pride. Any minute now, she thinks with some amused exasperation, he's going to start crowing like a rooster. “We’re meant to be together.”
She wrinkles her nose at his cheesy line. “Ey, oppa.” She takes the ladle, swirling the red sauce around evenly. “We’re not even actually together.”
His hand covers hers, jostling the pot slightly, and she looks up at him with a slight frown. “Don’t wound me like that, Seo Joo-hyun. What is this? A boy and a girl, having a meal together, alone…” His cheeky smile is back in full force. “Don’t try to tell me this isn’t a date. If it walks like a chicken, clucks like a chicken, smells like a chicken…”
She sighs, disengaging her hand from his but inside, she is smiling, grinning in the way she always seems to do when she’s around him. “I don’t think you can actually smell a chicken, oppa,” She points out to his returning eye-roll, “But fine. It’s a date.” She admits, not looking at him so she won’t have to see the smug satisfaction in his smile though she continues quickly, “But we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend. We're not.”
“Not yet.” He corrects her, and his smile is knowing, tender and she doesn’t even bother to try to hide her own answering smile.
“But I can’t wait for that day, Seo Joo-hyun.”