Romancing on Jeju

There was almost . . .

There was almost nobody in the lobby of the country club hotel. The low lighting gently illuminated the front desk, and it was so quiet that it was hard to believe any guests were staying there at all. The only one speaking up was Chakyung.

“So you’re telling me you don’t know where the golf bag is? Is this sort of thing even possible at such a first-class hotel?”

The hotel manager, front desk clerk, and concierge wore the same expressions as those dolls in the set of three that had been all the rage back in the day. The manager, a man in his fifties with a lean face, looked slightly terrifying, the clerk in her midtwenties seemed on the verge of tears, and the concierge in her late twenties wore a fixed smile.

The scary-looking manager spoke now. “We conveyed your message to the guest in room 420. Kim Mihye came by, picked up the golf bag, and left.”

“I asked you to pass along the message to Lee Mihae, not Kim Mihye.”

The manager’s tone was polite but firm. “There was a slight mix-up with the names, but you told us she was staying in room 420. She must have assumed her name had been written incorrectly by the person who left the bag for her, so she took it with her and left.”

Chakyung was at a loss for words. Wasn’t this his fault? She tried to compose herself.

“Could you at least let me know her contact information?”

“Because the reservation wasn’t made in Kim Mihye’s name, she did not provide us with her contact information, and her companion who did make the reservation claimed not to know her number either and ended the call saying we should discuss it later. Therefore, we’re not in a position where we can ask any further questions tonight ...”

The manager trailed off and exchanged a look with the clerk. Chakyung could guess what it meant—they were afraid of others finding out that the person who had booked the room had come to this hotel with Kim Mihye. It was someone they needed to shield. And a hotel shouldn’t probe into the secrets of its guests.

Beside them, the concierge listened quietly, looking sympathetic. She had been the one to accept the golf bag initially, but it was the clerk who had handed it over to Kim Mihye in room 420. Chakyung was the one who had brought the bag here for safekeeping. And the person who, after giving her the wrong hotel name in the first place, had suddenly called Chakyung up in the middle of the night screaming for her to go and find the missing bag was none other than Director Dim—er, Director Kim.

Chakyung had done nothing wrong besides show up at the Woonam Country Club Hotel like Director Kim had told her to and pass on the message he’d given her for Lee Mihae in room 420. He was the one who hadn’t known the correct name of the hotel where his own wife was staying, and he hadn’t given Chakyung so much as her phone number, but not a single word out of his mouth seemed to imply that any of this was his fault. Hadn’t he been the one to mix up the hotels?

“Do you have any idea how much that bag is worth? You should have checked properly! Without that bag, tomorrow’s golf outing will be ruined! I never thought you were stupid, Manager Yoon, but how could you be so careless?”

Earlier, when he was screaming at her on the phone, Chakyung had wanted to tell him to kindly spare her the BS, but she kept her mouth shut as she had done for her twelve years as an employee. He would find golf clubs to use somehow, she was sure, but he’d just wanted to take his anger out on her.

Now, Chakyung furrowed her brows. “Then are you saying you can get in touch with that person tomorrow?” she asked the front desk staff.

“We will inquire about the matter again in the morning.”

“And you can’t just give me the contact information directly? Or at least tell me where they’re staying now?”

“That’s against our hotel’s policy,” the manager said firmly. Chakyung could understand that. The manager was just doing his job earnestly and thoroughly. Chakyung was in the same position. She respected his professionalism and decided not to press him any further. As she nodded and took a step back, she watched some of the tension leave the corners of the manager’s mouth. As if to show that he understood where she was coming from, too, the manager added kindly, “Fortunately, they’re still staying on Jeju. We should be able to get in touch with them tomorrow.”

Chakyung felt something brush against her and turned around. Soo-eon had placed a hand on her shoulder and was gently telling her, “Let’s head back for now.”

Chakyung nodded, feeling drained. The whole ordeal had become such a hassle, but she couldn’t keep on making a fuss here. If she continued to fight back on this, she would only be a nuisance to all the people who had come here to rest and enjoy some quiet time.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

Soo-eon stepped back so she could be the first to leave through the revolving doors.

Once they were outside in the parking lot, Soo-eon called out in the dark for her to stop. “Wait here for a second,” he said.

Chakyung didn’t even have the chance to question him before she heard the sound of footsteps clicking toward them.

Soo-eon raised his hand. “Over here.”

At first, she couldn’t tell who it was because they were hidden in the shadows, but once the person came closer, the blue lights in the parking lot illuminated their silhouette. Soon, a woman’s freckled face appeared. It was the concierge from earlier.

“I waited for a good time and pretended I was stepping out to take a call.” She held up her wristwatch to check the time. It was a new TAG Heuer watch that glinted under the parking lot lights. “I have to get back soon before they notice I’m gone.”

“I’m sorry. For asking you for a favor like this.”

“No, it was our mistake. The hotel didn’t want to get caught up in the middle of this, but it feels wrong to pretend we know nothing.” As she slipped something into Soo-eon’s hand, she flashed Chakyung a smile. “I hope you find it.”

Chakyung bowed to her, surprised.

The concierge waved to Soo-eon. “See you at the surf house next week!” she said, tossing Chakyung another smile before she ran back toward the hotel.

Chakyung watched her go, then turned to Soo-eon. His cheeks were puffed out as he read the note the concierge had given him.

“What is that?” Chakyung asked.

Soo-eon looked up at her and grinned.

“The phone number of a different travel companion of Kim Mihye’s, and the name of the new hotel they’re staying at.”

The truck Soo-eon was driving rattled precariously over a speed bump. Chakyung found herself gripping the handle above her head.

“Oof, sorry. This thing is really shaky. It’s a piece of junk, as you can tell, but it’s definitely transported some delicate passengers before.”

“No, it’s fine. I think it’s just the beer I had earlier coming back up.”

“You didn’t drink that much, though,” Soo-eon said casually, turning left. As the wind swept through the darkness of the night, a couple leaves fell into the paths of the beams shining from the truck’s headlights. Chakyung became newly aware that it was the middle of the night and the two of them were alone in a car of all places. But glancing over at Soo-eon, she saw that his face was completely free of any hint of panic. His skin was as tanned as one would expect of someone who’d spent all summer catching waves in the rays of the sun, but also strangely clear.

“Still, I’m the one who should be sorry. It’s because I drank that you had to drive instead.” A belated apology, but better than pretending she didn’t owe him one.

“Well, it’s no problem for me, driving at night. And aside from you, I’m the one who knows that golf bag the best. Actually, I might know it better, no? Since I’m the one who carried it.”

He looked like he was holding in a laugh, the same as he’d been earlier. In front of Chanmin. When Chakyung could have easily been embarrassed in front of everyone.

“That’s why I’m grateful,” she said. You saved me from humiliation, she didn’t say.

Soo-eon glanced over at her. “It’s really no big deal.”

His voice was gentle, like a warm wave of ocean water over her skin, but at the same time, it was as firm as a surfboard cutting through that water. She suddenly wanted to cry. But as always, in the face of a crisis, Yoon Chakyung was not the type to let anybody see her tears.

An hour earlier, Chakyung’s conversation with Chanmin had been cut short when she answered Director Kim’s call. Her face burned with embarrassment as she listened to her boss shouting loud enough that the people around her could hear him through the phone. She managed to squeeze in a calm apology and a promise to resolve the issue right away. With that, she ended the call. Everyone was staring at her, not saying a word, when the owner of the bookstore encouraged them all to finish cleaning up and the crowd dispersed at last.

Chakyung placed her hand over her chest and took a deep breath, then fixed her face and turned to Chanmin.

“I’m not sure how you knew to come here, but I think I need to head out early. Director Kim needs me to take care of something. Can we go together and talk in the car on the way? I was just drinking with everybody, so I’m no good to drive.”

Chakyung was the one who had been drinking, but Chanmin’s face was flushed an even deeper red. If shame had a color, would it be that shade?

“Well, the thing is ... it’ll be a bit difficult for me to take you right now.”

Now it was Chakyung’s turn to go red in the face. “Oh?”

“Why is that?” The bold question came from somewhere behind Chakyung. It was Romi. Hadam elbowed her in the ribs, but the look on Romi’s face suggested that she’d asked out of pure curiosity.

Normally, she might have let it slide without an answer. Chakyung watched Chanmin’s mouth helplessly hang open. But when Romi was determined, there was no one who could avoid a conversation with her. And when she was tipsy? Enough said.

“Oh, um. I came here with someone from the conference, so I should make sure they get back to their accommodations all right.” Chanmin hesitated for a moment, then added, “I’ll drop them off first and then come back.”

“Where’s their hotel?”

“About an hour from here.”

Chakyung was at a loss for words again. If the hotel was an hour away, it would take him two hours to get back here. Romi cut in again.

“Hmm. Can’t you bring that person with you on the way?” Seeing Chanmin growing flustered, Romi quickly added, “Or they can come inside and wait here with us?”

In Chakyung’s mind, the scene unfolded with the companion who was waiting outside for her fiancé coming in and meeting everyone. Chanmin’s face had gone as red as it could get and was now taking on a bluish hue like an incredibly hot fire. Hadam took Romi by the arm and covered her friend’s mouth with one hand.

“So sorry, Chakyung. We’ve all been drinking, so there’s no one here who can drive.”

Right then, Soo-eon stepped up. “I can go,” he said.

Chanmin looked him up and down, but Soo-eon didn’t spare the other man so much as a glance. His eyes were on Chakyung the whole time he spoke.

“I didn’t have anything to drink, so I can help you out. I’ll go and grab my keys.”

In the darkness ahead of them, a small truck emerged from behind a stone wall. It had a rental car license plate, and the driver didn’t seem to know the area well, the truck inching slowly up the road. Soo-eon followed, keeping a good distance. Chakyung suddenly remembered the truck that had lit the road for her the day before. Somehow this one seemed familiar.

“Could it be . . .”

The moment Chakyung started to ask the question, her phone rang. The feeling of gentle calm that had been settling over her evaporated in an instant. The name she hated the mere sight of appeared on her screen.

“Yes, Director Kim.”

Director Dim seemed a bit calmer now, but Chakyung was still upset just talking to him.

“So what happened?” he asked.

“Right, well, I got the contact information for the person who mistakenly took the golf bag and am on my way to find them now, since they weren’t answering my calls. I feel bad, but I figured it would be best to go and see them in person.”

Chakyung didn’t mention that she’d actually gotten the contact information for an acquaintance of the person who’d taken the bag. She figured she should spare the few remaining hairs on Director Kim’s head from falling out in shock.

“Of course. I know you’re good at your job, Manager Yoon, so I expect you’ll have this all handled for me by tomorrow morning. It took a lot to get this group of folks together, and I already told them about the new golf clubs I bought in the States, so if I show up without them, how do you think I’ll look?”

Chakyung tried to tamp down the words threatening to escape her mouth in response.

“Understood. I’m sorry. I’m on it, and I’ll contact you once I’ve tracked down the bag.”

“All right. I’m trusting you, Manager Yoon.”

Before he could continue blowing smoke up her ass, Chakyung ended the call. She tried to hide her trembling hands, and the moment she let out the deep breath she’d taken, her phone pinged with a message she’d missed while on the phone with Director Kim.

It was from Chanmin.

What happened? Your line is busy.

Rather than call him back, Chakyung fired off a text in reply.

I’m on my way to find the bag. I’ll call you later.

Chanmin replied via text too.

Sure, you must be exhausted running around in the middle of the night. Your boss is kind of a jerk. Where are you? Want me to come to you?

Now? Chakyung remembered the sight of him earlier, getting into his car and taking off. She hadn’t gotten a proper look at the person in the passenger seat, but their long, dark hair had caught Chakyung’s eye. It was impossible to tell anything from that detail alone, but Chakyung couldn’t ask him anything about it then. The tips of her fingers had gone cold, but at the same time, people were staring at her, making the back of her neck burn hot.

No, it’s fine. I’ll handle it. See you later.

Soo-eon must have clearly seen everything earlier when he’d come in through the front door of the café. Then and now, his face gave no hints about what he knew. He didn’t ask any questions. Except one.

“Your boyfriend—does he know Kyungwoon?”

Chakyung was putting her phone away in her pocket when she was startled by the unexpected query. She didn’t bother to correct Soo-eon about the fact that Chanmin wasn’t merely her boyfriend, but her fiancé.

“No, I don’t think so,” she said.

But when she thought about it, she couldn’t be sure. If he hadn’t come to Nol to meet up with someone, she had no idea why Chanmin would have been there. What she did know was that whoever he’d come to see hadn’t been her.

“Or maybe he does,” she said. “I don’t even know what he was doing there. It’s not like he knew where I was and came to see me. He must have had some other business to attend to.”

“I thought he mentioned to Ayoung that he was interested in staying there. And he was asking whether any beekeepers were living at Nol now.”

Soo-eon mentioned this offhandedly, but it felt meaningful. Chakyung tried to answer just as casually.

“That’s because his work is related to beekeeping. He works in a research lab. But it didn’t seem like he knew Kyungwoon. If he did, he would’ve acted like it earlier.”

“That’s true. Ayoung thought they might be distantly related. She said she heard you mention his family name was Yang, which is Kyungwoon’s aunt’s family name too.”

Soo-eon made a left, their tiny truck picking up speed. Through the window, Chakyung looked out at the night. Wasn’t the truck too small to fit three people? There wasn’t enough room for him and Chakyung plus the looming shadow of her fiancé inside.

“Are you a foreigner?”

Now that they’d discussed Chakyung, it seemed only fair to give Soo-eon the space to talk about himself as well. Relationships only began through these sorts of exchanges, through telling someone else about yourself. Chakyung was surprised that the word “relationship” had instinctively come to mind, even in the midst of the dizzying feelings that had been brought on by Chanmin and the woman with him.

“Oh, me?” Soo-eon pointed to himself.

Chakyung nodded.

“Yeah, I’m an American citizen. My father’s American. I was born there too.”

“But your name . . .”

“I have an American name, but my father thought I should use a Korean one. It’s a long, complicated story. You sure you want to hear it?”

Chakyung hesitated. As much as she did, there was another part of her that didn’t. If she listened to his long, complicated story, she felt like she might somehow become a part of it.

“Not now,” she said. “Next time.”

Soo-eon shrugged, one corner of his mouth quirking up. “Sure. You must be tired.”

“I am.” Chakyung turned away and leaned her head against the window, shutting her eyes. When she was tired, she liked to be left alone. And Han Soo-eon was someone who wore her out. Right now, more so than exhaustion, she felt a headache looming. Though her migraines tended to disappear soon after they set in, they kept coming back like an ex she’d grown tired of, just to be a pain. But a moment later, as the truck must have rumbled over something, Chakyung’s head banged against the window and her eyes flew open. The truck had come to a sudden stop in the middle of the road.

“Whoa, are you okay?” Soo-eon pressed the button for the car’s emergency lights and turned toward Chakyung, looking concerned.

Rubbing her forehead, she looked up. “I’m fine, but what—”

“Over there.”

In the glow of the headlights, Chakyung could see the shape of something crouched in front of the truck, but she couldn’t tell what it was right away. As soon as Soo-eon took off his seat belt and opened the door, the realization hit her, and she got out after him.

Soo-eon approached the heap of fluff on the road and knelt beside it. He reached out a hand and said gently, “Poor thing. You must have been so scared, huh?”

Beneath his huge hand, a puppy whose fur was probably white under all the grime was hunched over, trembling. It was barking in a quivering voice when its ears pricked up and it turned to watch Chakyung as she approached. The moment she hesitated, the dog leaped up and ran hobbling toward her, then rested its head against her legs and let out another bark.

“Poor thing must think you’re its owner,” Soo-eon said.

Chakyung crouched down and examined the dog. It looked all the more pitiful for having gotten wet from the evening dew and the thin mist coming down. Its fur was matted as though it had been wandering in the woods for several days, dirt caked up in places. It must not have been able to find a proper meal in that time, judging from its skinny belly and sunken eyes. But it didn’t seem to be a stray.

Soo-eon came up beside her and sat, too, bowing his head to look the dog in the eye. At the sight of him, the dog let out a bark and clung even closer to Chakyung.

“There are lots of abandoned dogs on Jeju these days. Non-locals move here for a little while, adopt puppies, and dump them when they leave again. Before, people would raise them as outdoor dogs, but this little one looks too much like a pedigree pup for that. It might be a poodle?”

Chakyung petted its head. The dog rubbed its nose into her palm. Feeling its cold, moist snout on her hand, she felt so moved that it was like something heavy had smashed into her heart.

“We should take him with us. If we leave him here, he’ll die. He might leap out in front of any car he sees, thinking his owner is inside, or else some wild animals might ... might get to him. I’ll take him back to my room for today and see if I can get him to a vet or animal shelter tomorrow.”

“Don’t you have somewhere you need to go first tonight?”

Soo-eon’s dark eyes met hers. The puppy looked up at her as well. She understood what Soo-eon was saying. Scooping up the puppy, she stood. Her fingers buried deep in his fur, she could feel his skinny body underneath. Her heart ached.

“I can look for the golf bag tomorrow,” she said. “Besides, it was already rude enough to go tracking down a stranger in the dead of night like this. No matter how urgent my boss says it is. Plus, I don’t need to be running around following orders outside of work hours. I wasn’t thinking straight. If we can’t find his bag, I can just compensate him for the cost.”

Holding the puppy to her chest, Chakyung got back in the truck, grinning. “Let’s go back. I doubt it’ll happen, but I honestly don’t care if Director Dim gets brutally humiliated in front of everyone. In fact, it’d be a nice change of pace.”

Soo-eon strode toward the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat again. Once he was inside, he checked that Chakyung and the puppy were seated safely. The puppy’s head rested on Chakyung’s chest.

“I guess I was wrong,” Soo-eon murmured to himself.

“Hmm?”

“Even when you’re tired, apparently, you can still smile brighter than anything.”

Chakyung looked over at him. His voice was as calm as it had been at the airport, but he wore a crooked smile, eyes shining with laughter.

“Let’s head back, then,” he said.

The puppy barked in lieu of Chakyung answering. She told herself that her face was warm because she was tired and tried her best to rein in her smile. The truck had felt too cramped with the two of them inside and the additional person weighing on her mind, but with the two of them and the puppy, it felt exactly right.

Project: Searching for Honeyman

Day Five, Seogwipo

Just as Romi was sliding the fried egg she’d made out of the pan, Kyungwoon entered the kitchen and stopped short at the sight of her.

“Hello.”

Startled, Romi spun around, the fried egg falling onto the plate with a thunk. “Ack!”

Kyungwoon approached the counter where she stood. “Are you all right?” he asked.

“No!”

At her frantic response, he worriedly examined her hand. “Are you hurt? Is something wrong?”

“Yes! The yolk broke!”

“I’m sorry?”

“I made the yolk look so pretty by soft-boiling the egg first! And the color came out so nice too!”

“I’m sorry . . .”

Kyungwoon seemed unable to find the words he was looking for and so was left with no choice but to repeat the same ones. Romi used a spatula to neaten up the egg on the plate.

“It’s not working. You’ll just have to eat this ugly little thing.”

“I’m sorry?”

“We agreed to get up early this morning. To go to work.”

Smiling sweetly, Romi sat a flustered Kyungwoon down at the dining table in front of a plate of toast, the fried egg, sausage, and tomato. “Let’s eat together,” she said.

Kyungwoon didn’t seem to have as much of an appetite as Romi would have guessed. She watched him pick at the food on his plate. Yesterday afternoon, evening, and this morning as well—each time she saw his face, it looked strange. That might have been due to the traces of the accident. And she didn’t mean the physical scars. It was as though he had a thin film over his face like a veil. Was it because he didn’t remember her? Kyungwoon looked up, meeting Romi’s eyes. As a reflex, she brought her mug of coffee closer.

“Romi. Do you know me?”

“Ah—sorry?”

She nearly burned her mouth on the hot coffee but tried to play it off.

“Yesterday when we met, you spoke to me like you knew me, but you never answered when I asked if you did. Even Ayoung said that was how it seemed.”

Romi paused, wondering what to say. Should she tell him they’d met three years ago? Honesty was the best policy, as her mom had been telling her since she was a child.

“No, I don’t know you. I must have been mistaken.”

She had never been a close follower of her mother’s teachings. That was how she’d ended up living the way she did. But she didn’t want to say something that might needlessly upset someone who couldn’t remember her. She’d heard before that she lacked self-respect, but at times like these, she wanted to protect the little she did have.

“I see.” Kyungwoon raised his eyebrows slightly but said nothing more. Instead, he asked an unexpected question. “The man who came to see your friend yesterday—does he know me?”

Romi cocked her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

Romi and Hadam hadn’t given much thought to the reason Chanmin had come to Nol. Chakyung had come back quietly in the dead of night, so there hadn’t been a chance to ask her about it. Besides, it was clear the overall atmosphere still wasn’t quite right for that conversation.

“Why do you ask?”

“Oh, it’s just—I thought I’d seen him somewhere before. His name rang a bell, so I thought maybe he was someone I knew.”

“Yang Chanmin? I heard his work is related to beekeeping, but if he knew you, wouldn’t he have said so yesterday?”

“I guess you’re right. But since I can’t really remember ...”

Just as Kyungwoon seemed prepared to accept her reasoning and move on, Romi asked, “But why did you think you knew him?”

Kyungwoon was about to answer when another man came into the kitchen through the entrance to the gallery in the hallway.

“Oh, hello.”

The man wore a white T-shirt and bowed to greet Romi as soon as he spotted her, but she didn’t recognize him right away. “Hello,” she said. “But, um ...”

His round face reminded her of Taiwanese milk tea, for some reason. Why was that?

“Oh, what brings you here? And so early too? No class today?” Kyungwoon asked, standing up and holding out his hand. He seemed to know the other man, who shook his hand with a bashful smile.

“Yep, no class today, and I had some business in Seogwipo this morning that I’m just getting back from. I decided to drop in to see you, of course—and to check that the guest who came to our school the other day and fainted is doing better.”

The man politely gestured toward Romi with his hands, and only then did she realize who he was. The tapioca pearl guy with the smooth, round face from the Honeybee School. That was why the milk tea had come to mind. He was grinning at her good-naturedly—or so Romi thought. He was, in fact, looking at someone over her shoulder.

Hadam came in through the door that connected to the residences, her hair still wet and her eyes widening at the sight of Department Head Boo.

“Oh? Hello.”

Department Head Boo bowed in greeting, smiling sheepishly. “Hello.”

“What brings you here?” Hadam asked with some suspicion. The Honeybee School was in the opposite direction from Nol. It was a long way to have traveled this early in the morning.

“It was weighing on my mind, how you collapsed that day. And knowing I was to blame for it. Are you all right now?”

Hadam waved her hands, emphatic. “No, no, it was my fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. And I’m completely fine, not a scratch on me.”

“Still, I should have been better at keeping the bees under control. I meant to come and see you yesterday, but by the time I had finished up with work, it was too late. I’m sorry.”

“It’s my own fault for worrying you. I heard you carried me and ran all the way to the hospital, and I didn’t even get the chance to thank you.”

“Oh no, it wasn’t all the way there. I just carried you into the building ...”

When it became clear they had the energy to continue this back-and-forth game of apology catch for even longer, Romi raised a hand and called out, “You two!”

Hadam and Department Head Boo both turned to her. Romi spread out her hands, smiling benevolently like someone in a cable TV commercial.

“Why don’t you both have a seat while you chat? Have you had breakfast yet?”

Seated at the dining table and nibbling on a piece of toast, Department Head Boo introduced himself as Boo Hwachul. He knew Kyungwoon through a beekeeping group they were both in, and they were close enough that they had an older brother/younger brother dynamic. He’d heard from Sumi, his sister-in-law at the Honeycomb Guesthouse, that Hadam and Romi were staying here at Nol now. And Director Kang at Dolmiyong Jeju was the one who had told him they’d stayed at the Honeycomb Guesthouse prior to that. It was like a honeybee network, how they all seemed interlinked. Romi didn’t remember mentioning to Sumi that she would be coming to stay at Nol, but if she thought about the network within the co-op itself, it made sense that Sumi had somehow found out. Kyungwoon and Department Head Boo continued to chat, friendly enough that they did seem to know each other well.

“When did Taylor say he was getting back?”

“I think he said his flight gets in tomorrow or the day after. He’s in Korea now, but it seems like he’ll be in Seoul for a bit first. I wonder if he’s goofing around on the mainland because he knows I’ll ask him for help at the bee farm once he gets back.”

“If I don’t have any work to do, I can help you out. I learn a lot from seeing how you keep the bee farm in order. I’m curious about the nursery too. And I heard you bought some new mobile and electric honey extractors.”

“They haven’t gotten here yet. Come by tomorrow. When you get a break at the school.”

It was refreshing to see Kyungwoon so talkative. His easy smile seemed to lessen the weight that had been pressing on Romi’s heart. As if suddenly noticing the two women’s eyes on him, Department Head Boo turned to Hadam and apologized.

“Oh no, I’m sorry. We got so caught up in our own conversation.”

“No worries. I also happen to be doing some research into beekeeping, so I find it interesting.”

While Department Head Boo and Kyungwoon resumed their discussion, Hadam listened attentively and nodded along. Now and then, Department Head Boo even made eye contact with her and thoughtfully answered any questions she had. As the beekeeping conversation went on, Kyungwoon sent apologetic glances toward Romi, but she simply continued to smile and watch Department Head Boo and Hadam as they chatted. I was the one who almost got stung by the bees, but he only apologized to Hadam, and even now he doesn’t seem to care much about my opinion, Romi thought. She felt the urge to tease him a little, but she was enjoying the moment playing out in front of her, so she said nothing. Kyungwoon and Department Head Boo sat side by side, while Hadam and Romi sat across from them. The morning light shone on the men’s hair, and the apples on the table gleamed exceptionally bright. In reality, the morning was dark and overcast, so Romi knew the sunshine and the luster on the fruit were nothing more than a filter her eyes had applied on their own. Nonetheless, the day was bright enough to Romi. Two couples having breakfast—she was delighted by the composition of the scene, like something in a drama. At least, she was for about fifteen minutes.

“Hadam.”

When she heard that somewhat familiar voice, Romi got the feeling that she had somehow predicted this situation. Things had been peaceful for far too long, hadn’t they? Romi slowly turned around.

The man who had come into the kitchen through the café had a hand raised and was looking at Hadam. Did no one have to go to work today? Romi wondered. It was a weekday, she was fairly sure.

“You’re here earlier than I thought,” said Hadam, her face brightening.

Jaewoong, however, wasn’t smiling. Romi could sense his eyes on Hwachul where he sat across from Hadam. Jaewoong bowed to greet Romi, too, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. “Pilhyun sunbae’s here too. I asked for his help reviewing the rough cut of your film. Figured it’d be best to get another set of eyes on it.”

A tall guy—Hadam’s sunbae, apparently—appeared in the doorway behind Jaewoong.

“Yup. Jaewoong knows things are busy for me with the exhibit, but he insisted that I come and check it out. He must’ve been too shy to come alone.”

Pilhyun let those words hang meaningfully in the air, glancing over at Hadam with a look that suggested he was in a tight spot. Soon, though, as if noticing the other people in the room for the first time, he turned to bow to the rest of them. The men at the table hesitantly returned his greeting. Hadam looked at Romi, as if wondering whether to introduce them. Kyungwoon and Hwachul were strangers to Hadam too. They had only just barely met. Meanwhile, Pilhyun and Jaewoong were people she had known in the past. As she did not know how they would factor into her future, would it be socially appropriate to introduce them to the others? Romi was no help at all in a situation like this. She hadn’t properly heard Department Head Boo’s full name earlier, and she already couldn’t remember whether she’d caught the name of Hadam’s sunbae just now. Several awkward seconds ticked by.

But there was no need to worry for long.

There was a passage in a book Chakyung liked about how impossible it was to imagine the world without certain things in it. What would the world be like without the music in our hearts, the flowing rivers glittering with sunlight, the green and tender grass swaying in the wind? What would the world be like if it weren’t for dogs? 1

Chakyung couldn’t imagine such a world, but she was sure the people in it would be even more awkward with one another than they were now. This was the conclusion she drew as she watched the group in front of her looking flustered, at a loss for what to do at the sight of a dog leaping around.

Her exhaustion and sadness from the night before were fading. She had bathed the dog as soon as she got back last night, and he looked well groomed and healthy. And now he was darting around the six people in the kitchen, barking boldly and leaving them no room to be shy around one another.

Hadam’s ex-boyfriend held out his hand, but the dog ignored him and dashed over to Romi. She bent down to scoop up the puppy, but he must have been uncomfortable, sticking his legs out of her arms and writhing around. Kyungwoon quickly reached out to support the dog’s legs as Romi handed him over.

“Geez, this little guy. How can he have so much energy this early in the morning?”

Kyungwoon’s voice was friendly and affectionate. A round-faced man Chakyung had never seen before stood beside him, scratching behind the dog’s ears while the dog happily perked up his head.

“He’s still a baby,” said the stranger. “Where’d he come from?”

“I’m not sure,” Kyungwoon said, looking at Romi. She shrugged and looked at Hadam, who mirrored the gesture and turned to look at Chakyung. Everyone’s eyes found Chakyung then.

“We found him wandering around lost on the streets last night and decided to take him home,” she said calmly. “Me and ... Soo-eon.”

She had debated whether or not to add that part, but she wanted to stress the fact that she hadn’t taken in the dog on her own whim. They had done it together.

“He’s cute. I want to hold him too.”

The moment Hadam reached her arms out to the dog, he easily moved from Kyungwoon’s embrace into hers. As Hadam looked down at him, the dog licked her face. She turned her head, laughing. “Hey, cut it out,” she said.

“He doesn’t look older than a few months. And there are no stray dogs in this neighborhood.” Hadam’s sunbae spoke up from where he stood in the doorway at a bit of a distance from the others. Romi approached the dog, bent down, and brought her face close to his.

“You’re right. He looks like a family pet—do you think he was abandoned?”

The round-faced man bent down beside Romi and did the same thing, leaning in close. The two of them looked like a mommy and daddy dog gazing at their baby.

“I’m sure of it. He looks like a purebred too.”

The dog, perhaps excited by the sudden crowd of people gathered around him, began to wriggle in Hadam’s grip. When Hadam tried to adjust her hold on him, the dog stuck out his hind leg and—

“Oh my god!”

“Ugh.”

The round-faced man quickly pulled the dog away from Hadam, who narrowly avoided the yellow stream of pee that soaked a dark line onto the man’s blue sweater. Kyungwoon pulled Romi to his side so she could also avoid a golden baptism.

“Oh no—I think I saw some towels around here earlier,” said Chakyung. Even though the dog wasn’t hers, she felt her face reddening as if she were indeed his owner. She went around the room in search of the towels. A dishrag caught her eye, but it seemed like a bad idea to use it.

As the man who had been christened in the dog’s pee set him down with a pained smile, the dog bolted off as fast as lightning, leaping between people’s legs and coming to hide behind the folds of Chakyung’s skirt. It seemed like even he could sense he had done something bad.

Hadam grabbed the sleeve of her own cardigan and tried to wipe the man’s sweater clean. “Oh no, Department Head Boo, this was all my fault,” she fussed. “Your clothes are completely soaked.”

“Hold on.” Jaewoong cut in between the two of them to stop Hadam. He took off his own shirt and balled it up. “I’ll do it,” he said.

“What?”

Hadam looked up at Jaewoong in utter bewilderment, but he stood his ground and repeated calmly to Department Head Boo, “I’ll clean the dog pee off.”

Department Head Boo looked flustered but obediently craned his neck and allowed Jaewoong to wipe off the pee with careful dabs of his shirt. The two of them were close, with only a gap the size of a fist between them, and Department Head Boo’s face slowly began to turn red.

“Uh, you really don’t have to do this.”

“Jaewoong, you’re ... really too kind.”

This wasn’t what Romi had originally been planning to say, but she gulped down the words she’d held back. Kyungwoon’s hands were still on her shoulders.

“Right? Seems like you’re hell-bent on being especially nice today for no reason.” Pilhyun had taken a step back and now stood by the window, watching them all, arms crossed. The corners of his mouth were quirked up slightly, either holding in a laugh or biting down his displeasure.

Ayoung came into the kitchen, holding a tray, and almost tripped in surprise at the sight of Jaewoong and Department Head Boo mere inches apart. “Holy crap, you scared me,” she breathed. There was nothing wrong with the two men being so close, but it wasn’t the sort of thing she saw every day.

“What’s going on this early in the morning?” Ayoung scanned the room, spotted the dog, and seemed to be trying to assess the situation. “Did the dog take a leak?”

No one answered, but they all turned together toward Ayoung, then fixed their eyes again on the two men. Hadam tried to take the shirt from Jaewoong.

“I’ll do it,” she said.

“It’s fine. You should go and wash your hands.”

While the two of them bickered, Department Head Boo waved his hands.

“You’ve done enough, really,” he insisted, his round face still red. “It would be better if I went and cleaned myself off.”

“I’ll show you where the showers are,” said Ayoung, carefully setting the tray down on the counter by the sink.

Just then, Kyungwoon seemed to realize how close he and Romi were and let go of her shoulders, taking a step back. “I’ll go and find some clothes for you to change into.”

As if in reply, the puppy let out another bark. Everyone dispersed and went off to where they needed to be. No one paid Chakyung any mind. She sighed, exhausted from being an audience to all that chaos, and looked down at the puppy.

Do you have any idea what you’ve done?

The dog looked up at her with clear, dark eyes.

She wasn’t sure whether dogs could detect things like subtle competitiveness, jealousy, and anticipation among humans. But if dogs did sense these things, they were capable of putting on an innocent face and pretending they didn’t. That might have been what made them so lovable.

1 From Dog Songs : Poems by Mary Oliver, Penguin Books, 2013.