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“Bomi!”
The hallway was already empty. He walked to the elevator, and it was actively descending. He had missed Bomi in vain. He didn’t even have anything specific to say, so he couldn’t understand why he had wanted to stop her.
“She’s gone.”
Jinhan, who had become a recluse, had chosen to be alone as if punishing himself. Even when sick, he didn’t have the will to recover quickly as before. The reason his condition hadn’t improved even while hospitalized was largely because this space had become Jinhan’s refuge. During his illness, he bitterly regretted his past arrogance and foolishness. It was hard to admit that the success he had achieved until now was due to the influence of his father, Chairman Yoo, who had become a public enemy. Once he accepted reality, everything he possessed felt meaningless. Nothing was enjoyable, and his expectations had vanished. Just as his depression was digging a hole to the core of the earth, Bomi unexpectedly appeared and jolted Jinhan awake. That night, an unbidden longing pierced him. It was bone-chilling, and a sigh escaped him.
“Bomi isn’t a woman.”
He tried to deny it, but his thoughts and words were at odds. He tossed and turned until dawn that night, and when day broke, he waited for Bomi. He thought she would come today since she had said she was taking care of him. But he stared at the hospital room door all day, and Bomi never came.
“Is she playing hard to get with me?”
If you see someone naked, you should take responsibility. Why isn’t she coming? This was clearly cheating. Jinhan, feeling subtly wronged, immediately called the nursing desk.
“I’d like to be discharged.”
His doctor came up and examined Jinhan’s condition. He gave him a few instructions, noting his brighter complexion.
“Stress is the most dangerous. Especially for you, extreme excitement is not good.”
“Even excitement for good things?”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, no. Can I be discharged now?”
“I’ll prescribe some medicine for you, so please wait a moment.”
An hour later, Jinhan left the hospital. He had only been confined to the hospital room for a few days, but the world felt different.
“Isn’t that Chairman Yoo Jin-ho’s son?”
“It really is!”
People who recognized Jinhan whispered. Feeling self-conscious, he immediately hailed a taxi. The ride home wasn’t smooth either. The taxi driver kept glancing at Jinhan, making it difficult for him to avoid his gaze. This negated the point of being hospitalized. A headache that hadn’t been there before seemed to revive, so he got out as soon as the taxi stopped.
“Phew, annoying.”
He went home and took a shower first. He carelessly applied his usual toner and then called Hwang Gyeong-ok.
“I’ve been discharged.”
-Okay, you worked hard.
“I have a favor to ask.”
-What is it?
“Do you happen to know Bomi’s address?”
-Why her house? She lives with her parents anyway. Just call her.
“Please just find out where she lives.”
Hwang Gyeong-ok, urged by her son, verbally explained Bomi’s home address. It was a neighborhood Jinhan knew well, so he had a sense of where it was.
“Bomi won’t go to the hospital not knowing I’ve been discharged, will she?”
He made unnecessary worries and then prepared to meet Bomi. Though it was only for a day, he was incredibly grateful for the care she had given him at the hospital. On the other hand, he also had this thought:
“She still feels more like a younger sister than a woman.”
Jinhan dressed up and left his house. The next place he headed to was a flower shop. He ordered a large bouquet of pure white lisianthus for Bomi.
“Am I overdoing this?”
Before going to Bomi’s house, he called Bomi. He sighed when she didn’t answer after two tries. He briefly considered giving up. Just in case, he turned towards Bomi’s house. He was incredibly nervous, exhaling constantly, even though he hadn’t done anything yet.
“This is it. I wonder if she’s not home.”
Bomi’s house was a two-story country house. A high wall blocked the view, so he took out the bouquet and rang the doorbell. He was exhaling and waiting for a response. Suddenly, someone poked Jinhan’s back from behind.
“Who are you, mister?”
“Huh?”
He turned around to see a girl who looked to be in elementary school. A flustered Jinhan stammered and pointed to Bomi’s house.
“Do you live here, by any chance?”
“Yes, this is my house.”
“Bomi’s sister?”
“Yes, Bomi unnie is my older sister.”
For a brief moment, Jinhan’s mind went blank, and he carefully chose his words. He happened to run into Bomi’s sister, so he quickly made something up.
“My name is Yoo Jinhan. I’m Bomi’s friend.”
“My unnie wouldn’t have an old friend like you, mister.”
How could sisters think so alike? Jinhan, stung, grew serious.
“I may look like this, but I’m young.”
“You’re still a mister, anyway.”
“Yes. A mister. Is Bomi home right now?”
“My unnie is busy these days, she practically eats and sleeps at her studio.”
“Studio?”
“Yes. My unnie’s studio is over there.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you.”
“Can I have one of those flowers too, please?”
“Pick one you like.”
She asked for just one flower, but she ended up “stealing” five. This behavior was eerily similar to Bomi’s, leaving Jinhan dumbfounded. Without hesitation, he went to the place Bomi’s sister had told him about. Reaching the second floor of a building covered in vines, he saw a small acrylic sign that read ‘Bomi Lounge’. Jinhan knocked on the closed door.
“Not here?”
No sound came, so he was about to knock again when a man came out. Wearing a hoodie, he looked to be Bomi’s age. He was a quite attractive man with a handsome appearance and a slender build. As someone in the entertainment industry, Jinhan guessed he would be quite popular with women. From this point on, his mind started to get twisted. Why was this refined-looking guy in someone else’s private studio? Jinhan’s current appearance, holding a bouquet, clearly looked like he was there to confess, making him unnecessarily embarrassed.
“Who are you?”
The man asked defensively, as if a stranger had come to his home. Jinhan, annoyed, retorted in a stiff tone.
“I’ve come to see Bomi.”
In that brief moment, a million thoughts raced through his mind. What was this guy’s relationship with Bomi? Why was he here? All that aside, Jinhan was simply in a bad mood. He endured the urge to grab the man by the collar and pull him out, trying to appear relaxed. But the answer he got was:
“Bomi’s busy...”
This punk is being short with me? Jinhan’s face hardened, feeling offended. The young man was speaking informally, as if he had lost his manners.
“Isn’t this Bomi’s studio?”
Jinhan, as a gentleman, maintained his composure to the end. After all, he and Bomi had been on a blind date, and there were still three dates left.
“You must be mistaken...”
“Oppa Jinhan!”
Just as the man was about to answer with a reluctant expression, a clear voice rang out from behind him. Jinhan’s face, which had been hardening, finally relaxed.
“Bomi!”
Bomi came out just then. Her appearance, wearing a long T-shirt and tights, suited her short hair well.
“How did you know to come here?”
“Your sister told me. I went to your house.”
“Really?”
“First, take this.”
“Wow! This is the first time I’ve received such a big bouquet!”
The man in the hoodie leaned against the door, crossing his arms. He merely watched Jinhan and Bomi indifferently, showing no intention of moving aside.
“Oppa, the studio’s a mess, but do you want to come in for a moment?”
“Should I?”
Just as Jinhan was about to enter the studio, the man quickly cut in and asked Bomi about her work progress.
“Did you finish what you were working on earlier?”
His eyes were filled with obvious displeasure about the situation. His annoyed expression was clearly readable, like someone who had swallowed a disliked food. Bomi grew serious, thinking he was being rude.
“Almost done. ...Oppa Jinhan, come on in!”
“Oh, okay.”
Jinhan was about to say something to the man but held back. He entered the studio, burdened by the discomfort, and then suddenly felt bewildered. This was a shared studio, decorated like a cafe. Jinhan, who had thought it was Bomi’s private studio, felt awkward about his earlier confrontation with the man.
“Was this place shared with other people?”
“Yes, that way we can save on rent.”
Jinhan sat in the chair Bomi offered him. The U-shaped desk was occupied by three computers: a laptop, a PC, and a tablet. Papers with Bomi’s own sketches were piled high everywhere.
“Who was that guy earlier?”
“Oh! I’m working on a project with that senior this time.”
“What kind of work?”
“It’s from A Electronics, something like this.”
Bomi showed him the graphic images she was working on. Her skill was clearly impressive at first glance.
“You came to the hospital even though you were busy with work?”
“I just took a day off instead of the weekend.”
“Even so...”
“You liked it, though.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions.”
Bomi seemed very busy. He understood now why it had been difficult to see her face. The two exchanged casual greetings. Then Jinhan noticed something and pointed to it with his chin.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a cot. I sleep here when I’m busy.”
“When will this work be finished?”
“I’ll send the final work this week, and it’ll be done once it’s confirmed.”
He had thought he could have a date with Bomi today. Jinhan, whose expectations were high, looked around the cluttered atmosphere and subtly stood up.
“You’re working hard.”
“Are you leaving already?”
“You seem busy, so I should go.”
“At least have a meal before you go.”
“We’ll have three dates in the future.”
“Ah!”
“What we did at the hospital last time doesn’t count as a date.”
“Honestly, it really didn’t.”
“Eating together on a date is important. I don’t want to just grab a quick meal.”
Bomi seemed not to understand Jinhan’s meaning. After a brief moment, her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
“Did you come here today for a date with me?”
“Then what do you think these flowers are for?”
There were three dates left. In this day and age, if two people clicked, they could even spend the night together on their first meeting. In that light, three meetings was by no means a small number. History could be made at any time within those meetings.
“If that’s what it was, you should have contacted me earlier. I would have dressed up.”
Even at this moment, the uncomfortable gaze from beyond the partition made Jinhan uncomfortable. Although it was disappointing for now, it seemed better to arrange for the next time.
“You said you were working? You look busy, so work.”
“Are you really just going to leave like this?”
“It’s not good to have a date that interferes with work.”
Jinhan saying this first was a kind of consideration. So that Bomi could concentrate on her work. Of course, the intense disappointment that spread from the pit of his stomach remained Jinhan’s burden.
“I’m leaving.”
“Thanks for the flowers.”
Bomi saw Jinhan off to the door. Before he went down the stairs, he reached out and stroked Bomi’s head.
“Work hard.”
He pretended to be fine when he left, but he wasn’t. As soon as he got into the car, his throat felt parched from the resentment rising from his core. The gaze of the senior who had followed him to the end lingered in his mind. In the end, he was leaving without even a proper date, and his mind was a jumbled mess.
Just as Jinhan was turning to leave, planning for their next meeting, Bomi watched his car drive away, her eyes tearing up slightly. Behind her, her senior walked up. He grumbled, glaring at Jinhan’s disappearing car.
“Who was that guy?”
“You don’t need to know, senior.”
The man in the hoodie was a senior from the same department who had returned to school after military service and graduated in the same year. His name was Kwon I-young. The two, who had been close since university, had somehow even found a studio together. Recently, a large project had come to I-young, and Bomi had been participating in it.
“He’s not crazy, what’s he doing all dressed up like that just to come to someone else’s studio?”
“Crazy? Don’t just say things like that.”
“What’s with those flowers? So tacky.”
“They’re beautiful, you’re just being an old man.”
I-young seemed to have many complaints. He subtly probed Bomi, who sat down next to the bouquet.
“Was it that guy you went to meet when you took your holiday off early the other day?”
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