Chapter Twelve #2
I HAVE to tell her that she did not imagine what happened at the beach back in Bali.
I must tell her that all of it did, in fact, happen.
And that I’d seen her at the hotel. That I knew who she was when I hired her.
Must tell her! Kkok haeya dwae [Must do it]!
But maybe tonight is not the night. Is it wrong of me to just want to enjoy her company right now?
I just want to keep gazing at this beautiful face.
Timira waves at Haneul, her fingers almost touching his face.
‘Haneul, are you here?’
‘Yes, of course. Right here!’ he says, breaking out of his trance.
‘Where were you lost this time? What were you thinking of?’
Who, WHO were you thinking of, was what Timira wants to ask.
He smiles and replies, ‘You. I was thinking of how beautiful you are and how beautiful the night is!’
Timira isn’t entirely convinced but doesn’t press further.
‘What now?’ she asks instead.
She hadn’t wanted to come across as too direct, but that’s exactly how she ends up sounding.
Haneul sighs and tilts his head up, looking at the sky. He sighs again, this time deeper than the previous, before linking Timira’s fingers with his.
Let me show you how I truly feel about you, let me be your wings, your anchor, your life jacket. Let me be your best friend, your punching bag, your parent. Let me be your present as you are a gift to me. Let me be your future as you are every hope and every dream to me.
‘Give me a chance, Timira,’ is all he’s able to muster.
We just kissed, you fool. If that’s not giving you a chance, then I’m not sure what is.
Of course I’m giving you a chance, you silly goose!
How’s he such a grown-up at work and so childlike outside of it?
! He really needs to learn from me to be mature, wise and grown-up in every sphere of life. God, I’m good at adulting!
Timira doesn’t say anything and keeps looking at her feet while curling her toes.
Or not.
‘I know you are confused and all this might be a tad too overwhelming. I promise to do right by you. I WILL put everything in its rightful place. Just tell me you are willing to give me a chance.’ Haneul isn’t quite done pleading yet.
Timira hesitates before replying.
‘You must do right by everyone, not just me, Haneul. Everyone who’s getting affected by your actions.’
Our actions.
Timira knows Mina must be suffering, too.
Divided by love and united by sisterhood , she muses.
This is why I lo … like you so much! ‘I promise I will do my best. Will you wa—’
‘… wait for you? Yes, I will.’ Timira cuts in.
Haneul’s face lights up and he gently squeezes Timira’s hand.
Timira smiles beatifically and announces out loud, ‘It’s cold, can you hold me closer?’
* * *
‘Did I not tell you that going to Jeju would be of no help? Why don’t you stick to what you know and let me handle this for you?’ Chairman Ri cannot hide his disappointment.
‘What do you mean, Appa? Everything went well! We ate together, shortlisted wedding venues, everybody got along well …’
‘ Baboya [are you a fool]? What do you have inside your head? Clearly, not a brain. Oh, Mina, what am I going to do with you? Why can’t you use a little bit of that brilliant professional mind of yours in your personal life? Why do you turn into a stupid lamb where it concerns the Baeks’ son?’
Because it is him, Appa!
But she doesn’t have to state the obvious.
Her indulgent father had been aware of this for years, and for his darling daughter, he had orchestrated her engagement to Haneul.
But having witnessed Haneul’s behaviour in Jeju and heard from Stephanie about his growing proximity to one of his employees, he now isn’t sure if it had been the right thing to do.
Ah, if only Mina’s mother were here.
Feeling sorry for his child who has never really known a mother’s love, he reaches his hand out to pat her head but stops himself.
No, I must appear stern. Else this fool will keep making a fool of herself.
‘I’m told that awful Kang Yoojin gija has been frequenting the club office. Are you aware of this?’
Mina, who has been making little circles with her thumb and index fingers while staring at the geometric patterns of the floor below, is taken aback by the abruptness of the shift in topic.
‘Yoojin who? Ah, yes, yes. Don’t worry about it, Appa. I’ll handle him.’
She hasn’t the faintest idea how. She is aware of the wiry-looking wily fox of a man Kang Yoojin is.
He’s notorious for his exposés of high-profile citizens.
Celebrities are wary of him and the public loves him for his shocking revelations.
He is the same reporter that had questioned Rodrigo about his controversial past and immediately threatened to derail the plan Mina’s dad had for the club as well as the one that Rodrigo was hoping to put together to win Timira back by writing a scathing article about Rodrigo’s history, replete with unsavoury details of his many transgressions.
Dang, why don’t I know about this? How is this old geezer a step ahead of me every single time? And why is this Yoojin gija taking such an interest in Rod?
‘Handle him? Are you sure? I can get the legal and PR departments to deal with him …’
‘… and, make it look like we have something great at stake?! Appa, we have done nothing wrong. We have nothing to hide! We ran a proper background search on Rodrigo before signing him, did we not, Appa? His record’s clean.
How on earth were we supposed to know about some beef that he had back in his childhood?
We were signing an athlete, not some swindler that we’d have needed an NIS-level search for!
He’s just a “bad boy”, not a criminal! In any case, we always knew he was going to be trouble.
We have prepared for this, geogjeong hajimaseyo , Appa! ’
‘So you think we can put a stop to this before it gets out of hand?’
‘Leave it to me, Appa. I will turn this into a positive PR drive for us. You’ll see!’ assures Mina as an idea begins to take shape inside her sharp managerial brain.
* * *
‘Yeoboseyo! Ah, ye, je ireumeun Ri Minaimnida [Hello! Yes, my name is Ri Mina]. Do you have a minute to speak?’
Yoojin is already in the food court of the Starfield COEX mall in Gangnam by the time Mina arrives, five minutes early for their 4 p.m. appointment. Mina had asked to meet him, and Yoojin had needed no coaxing.
The fancy, well-tailored suit over his lean physique is unusual for a reporter. Yoojin, in all his imagined impressiveness, is sipping on a coffee and reading messages on his phone when Mina walks in. Like a gent, he gets up to greet her and pulls out a chair for her.
‘Can I get you something?’
‘Coffee would be great, thank you!’
About three minutes pass before Yoojin comes back with a cup of Chemex for Mina. He waits for her to take a sip and then speaks.
‘I would’ve come to your office had you asked me to. You needn’t have taken the trouble to come all the way here.’
‘Actually, there are too many eyes that follow me around at work and too many tongues that wag. I did not wish to put either at work.’
‘You think you, I mean we, are not being watched as we speak?’
‘I’m sure we are. But this could be just a friendly meeting, you know. We could be friends, right, Yoojin-ssi?’
‘Er, if you say so,’ Yoojin replies haltingly, his voice unsure, his brain confused.
‘Look, we could’ve met in secret, but that would’ve meant we are up to something unholy. Which I promise you we are not.’
‘We are not?’ Yoojin is still unsure but the clouds in his brain are now starting to lift.
‘Oh, absolutely not. I assure you. I come bearing gifts!’ She lifts the cat-eye Dior sunglasses she has been wearing all this while off her eyes and rests them on her head.
This cat’s claws are out , Yoojin can tell.
‘So, Mina-ssi, what is it that you wish to discuss with me? What can I do for you?’
Since his article about Rodrigo’s past had come out, he had been expecting a call from Chairman Ri’s camp.
He knew he had stirred a hornet’s nest and they would try to stop him before he divulged more secrets and landed them in hot soup.
But he hadn’t thought it’d be the daughter that’d reach out to him. Naturally, he’s a little taken aback.
‘I’m sure you are a busy man, as I am a busy person. So I shan’t beat about the bush. Let me cut straight to the chase—I have some information that could be of use to you. And I’m wondering if I should share it with you.’
Ah, so she’s here to sound me out, is she?
‘I won’t know how useful that information might be until I’ve heard it, you see.’
‘I can assure you it’s information that will be exclusive to you. It’ll be a scoop for your publication, I promise!’
I wonder what she might want in exchange. Is she trying to strike a deal with me?
‘So what do you propose? What can I do for you to share your knowledge with me?’
‘Now we are talking! Well, I propose a deal.’
Of course! Yoojin is not surprised.
Mina continues to speak.
‘I will share this information but, daesin , you will stop digging up Rodrigo-ssi’s past.’
Ah, so THIS is the catch. It is exactly as I had predicted. The company and club want me off Rodrigo’s back. THAT scumbag, I will ruin him!
‘And why would I do that? Rodrigo is a huge name and I have exclusive information. Let me tell you that what you have read in that article is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s plenty more where it came from!’
Oh, so this snoop doggy dog has more dirt up his sleeve. Argh, Rodrigo! What sort of shenanigans has that troublemaker been up to?! Jeez!
‘What if this information that I wish to share with you also concerns Rodrigo? Would that interest you?’
What could she possibly know about him that I don’t? Is she simply bullshitting?