Chapter Twelve #6
The men look like they are locked in a stare-to-death contest. Nostrils flaring, flushed cheeks, deep frowns across their temples. Nearly a minute has passed since Timira and Mina have gone inside the restaurant.
Rodrigo is the first to move. Inching a little closer towards Haneul, he leans in and speaks in a hushed tone.
‘If only you gave your fiancée half the attention you give my girlfriend.’
‘EX-GIRLFRIEND,’ Haneul hisses.
‘That isn’t the point here, is it? The point is that you seem to be confused about who you are marrying.’
‘I AM NOT!’ Haneul is now fuming.
‘Are you going to break your engagement for Timira?’
Haneul doesn’t answer. Rodrigo isn’t about to relent.
‘Just what are your intentions with Timira?’
‘Why must I tell you? Are you her guardian? Don’t fool yourself, you and I both know what you did to her!’
This time, Rodrigo is left smarting. But he recovers quickly enough.
‘I’m no longer the same man. She just doesn’t know it yet. When she does, she will come back to me.’
Haneul scoffs. ‘ Uwa , you really are deluded, aren’t you?’
‘What do you even know about Timira?’ Rodrigo demands.
Haneul, by now, has lost his cool.
‘I know she blinks faster when she is nervous, I know she likes to sing when she is alone, I know that she loves her best friend’s wife more than she loves him, I know she likes to keep a few strands of hair loose when she wears a bun, I know her mouth is open when she sleeps sitting up, I know she smiles with her eyes shut when she is sad, and I know that I am in love with her! ’
Haneul has been speaking breathlessly. When he stops, he is out of breath and almost panting.
Rodrigo’s jaw is tense, he’s gnashing his teeth in rage and his eyes are narrowed into slim slits.
He curls his hand into fists and looks like he’s about to take a swipe at Haneul when a rather loud noise startles him and Haneul both.
Timira has heard Haneul’s confession, and as swoony as his words were, they make her a little uneasy.
They turn around to see where it came from and look at Timira crouched on the floor to pick her phone up. As she gets up and lifts her head, her eyes meet Haneul’s, and the phone falls yet again from her panicked, trembling hands.
Haneul rushes towards her, picks up the phone in a flash, and checks for bumps and bruises before handing it back to her. He then speaks in an irritated tone.
‘Do you intend to break the phone? What are you doing here anyway? Weren’t you inside?’
‘Er, I lost my nosepin. Must’ve fallen off earlier …’ she stammers, feeling the pierced side of her nose. ‘I was using the phone torch to look …’
‘… that white diamond you wear? You are looking for a white stone on a white marbled floor in white light? Oh, Timira!’ Haneul cuts in.
What an idiot! What a bumbling idiot. Could she be any cuter?
Why could he not tell ME those things? And why is he still dragging Mina along?
That girl doesn’t deserve this! Nobody deserves this!
I am not the ‘other’ woman. I refuse to be!
What sort of a feminist would I be if I did this to a sister?
Nope! Haneul must clean up his act before I listen to my heart!
When she speaks, she doesn’t look him in the eye.
‘Mina-ssi is waiting for me. I should head back in.’
She turns around to leave and Haneul doesn’t stop her. He looks at Rodrigo and asks, ‘Coming? You look like you could do with a kick … of caffeine!’ With that, he follows Timira in.
Rodrigo, ashen-faced, takes a few deep breaths and wonders if he should make an excuse and leave but decides against it.
‘I can deal with this, no problem. I’m a superstar! A little competition isn’t going to hurt me,’ he tells himself out loud.
But he is actually panicking.
The guy really does like her. I’ve not noticed any of those things he mentioned. How am I ever going to match up to this? Is it too late? Have I lost her?
Taking small steps, in great contrast to his usually giant strides befitting his giant frame, he walks in.
Down but not out. Not yet!
Inside, Mina scrambles to reach her seat. She had followed Timira out when she hadn’t returned for a while. And had watched the entire episode unfold. She is still catching her breath when Timira returns, shortly followed by Haneul.
‘Did you find your nosepin?’ Mina asks with as much enthusiasm as she is able to muster.
‘Um, no,’ Timira answers in a small voice.
‘Oh, that’s too bad. But look at the bright side, you found my fiancé!’
Timira’s heart sinks, and just like Haneul had observed, she smiles slightly with her eyes shut.
‘Oh, Rodrigo-ssi is here, too! Wonderful. Sit, sit, guys!’
An air of awkwardness and discomfort hangs around the table. Rodrigo is the first to break the silence.
‘Say, Mina-ssi, when are you and Baek Daepyo getting married? I heard you were checking venues in Jeju.’
Mina throws her head back and laughs. But doesn’t answer.
‘I’m interested to know about YOU, Rodrigo-ssi. Of course, we know who has your heart,’ she says with a wink at Timira. ‘When are you getting married? Timira-ssi is even dressed for it. Say the word, and we’ll have you two married right away!’ she chirps.
Rodrigo answers promptly, as though he has been waiting for this opportunity.
‘I’d marry her in a heartbeat, if only Timira would have me.’
Uff, this useless, deluded, cheating, lying moron. Why won’t he leave me alone?!
Timira is furious.
Mina, who has been smiling brightly all this while, is caught off-guard to find her heart feel heavy.
Why am I sad about this? I’m engaged to Haneul, my cheotsarang, my jaksarang, my first and only love. I am going to marry him. Then why am I feeling sad? Seolma!!!! Am I catching feelings for Rodrigo?!?!
* * *
Hanee has been noticing a man lurking around the office since the past couple of days and informs Mr Choi.
‘Geogjeong hajima, Hanee-ssi [Don’t worry, Miss Hanee]! I’ll look into it.’
To Mr Choi’s displeasure, and adding to his stress, he turns out to be none other than the pesky journalist Kang Yoojin. Fearing bad press, Choi takes him out for a coffee and pleads with Yoojin to not kick up trouble for his boss.
‘I’m not sure what you mean, Yeongjae-ssi! I’m only trying to write about Rodrigo and his lover. She just happens to work at Haneul-ssi’s company. Other than that minor fact, this has nothing to do with him.’
But seeing how ill at ease Mr Choi looks, Yoojin surmises there’s probably more to it than meets the eye.
Perhaps it DOES concern Baek Haneul after all. This could also explain why Mina-ssi was so eager to let me in on this!
‘This is a very important time for the company and Mr Baek,’ Mr Choi repeats himself for the third time.
Mr Choi has known Haneul’s family for long.
He used to work at his grandmother’s company before she sent him over to Haneul to help set up operations at his new company.
He knows about the near-fatal accident that Haneul suffered on the football pitch, about the opposition he had had to face from his father when starting SecondSkin, and how oddly troubled he has been since the hiring of Rodrigo, especially since the nature of his past relationship with Timira had been all but revealed.
‘But this has nothing to do with him. It’s entirely about Rodrigo,’ Yoojin explains again, making a feeble attempt at appeasing Mr Choi.
‘Of course this concerns him. Rodrigo is his brand ambassador and the lady in question his employee!’
She’s not just his employee … he thinks to himself, recalling all the instances he’s witnessed in the past few weeks.
He had been suspicious of Haneul’s intentions since he saw him pushing for her name during the selection, but every incident since her arrival has turned that nagging suspicion into a firm belief that Timira is more, way more, than his employee.
Mustering the wisdom earned in his many years of experience, he calms his troubled mind and places a friendly hand on Yoojin’s shoulder.
‘Let me give you a better idea. Why don’t you interview Rodrigo and Daepyonim together? You may not know, but Mr Baek was somewhat of a football prodigy. He might’ve been a bigger star than Rodrigo even, who knows!’
‘Really now? What happened? Why did he stop then?’
‘Oh, you know. He went to Japan, got injured …’ Mr Choi stops himself before revealing too much. Nobody outside of the Lees, Baeks and Ris, barring a few trusted employees, know about this incident.
But Yoojin’s curiosity is piqued.
‘Fascinating! I think I will take you up on that offer of a joint interview.’
I’m willing to bet my twenty years of experience that this will be the biggest scoop of my career. I can feel it in my bones. Rodrigo and President Ri, you are in trouble!