Ever After

Conversation

Something had changed between them.

Before, Seri had always associated Jeong-hyeok's presence with bated breath, careful words, tentative moves, and stomach-fluttering nerves.

Now, when they could think and speak and meet without urgency or uncertainty, meeting him felt like putting on her favourite sweater. Something that fit exactly right and made her feel cosy and warm. She could speak without second-guessing herself and reach for him without hesitating. What they had now felt truer than infatuation. Although... her heart still beat faster when he gave her one of his intense looks, or when he did something extra-chivalrous like he was doing now, holding the hotel lobby door open for her to exit. Seri wondered if she would grow out of this. She wondered if it was doing any physical damage to her heart.

Shyly, she took his hand as he joined her on the sidewalk. They were both wearing face masks to be less recognizable, but it still felt like something to be careful about. Jeong-hyeok's fingers tightened around hers, and she could tell from his eyes that he was smiling as he looked down at her.

"I feel like we've only held hands in desperate situations, Jeong-hyeok ssi," Seri mused as they began to walk towards the restaurant he had picked for dinner. "Running away from someone... hiding from someone..."

She peeked at him. He seemed to be inspecting the branches of trees they were passing by. Or perhaps he was looking at the sky, though the stars weren't visible in the city. She was wondering if he had heard her when he suddenly said: "Why do you still address me as Jeong-hyeok ssi?"

"Ah..." Seri thought for a moment. Why did she still address him formally? It wasn't that she felt distant from him. "I guess that it just stuck. How do you think I should address you now, then? Jeong-hyeok oppa? Jagiya?" The words seemed to roll unnaturally off her tongue as Seri tried them out. Their eyes met, and they somehow both stopped strolling at the same time as they stared at each other, confused frowns on both their faces. They took a minute to absorb the effect of those different ways of addressing him, then mutually turned their eyes forward and continued walking again.

"No," he said.

"No," she agreed.

It wasn't that Seri addressed everyone so formally. All of her exes were oppa to her, but it just didn't suit Jeong-hyeok's gallant type of presence. He would always be Ri Jeong-hyeok ssi, in her head. "Jeong-hyeok-a," she tried. Not too bad. Grinning under her mask now, she nudged Jeong-hyeok with her elbow. "You try."

He glanced down at her. "Seri-ya," he said, prompting a little flutter in her stomach. So, it hadn't completely disappeared.

She moved her hand from his to wrap her arm around his arm, leaning her head against his shoulder as they strolled. "I like the sound of that, Jeong-hyeok-a."

They arrived at what seemed to be a trendy tapas-style Chinese restaurant. When Jeong-hyeok gave his reservation number, they were led into a small private room. Nothing fancy, but neat and intimate. Seri narrowed her eyes at him as they sat down. "Seo Dan helped with the reservation, didn't she?" She took Jeong-hyeok's abashed silence for a yes. "Well, I can't deny that she's a classy woman," Seri said with a smile as she opened the menu.

After ordering the food and being left alone in the room again, Seri rested her elbows on the table and watched Jeong-hyeok. He watched her back. She would never get used to that stoic expression paired with his eyes that brimmed with all the emotions he held inside. It was no wonder he was so bad at lying.

He had left his hair down and un-styled today. It reminded her of their turbulent times in North and South Korea. "Technically, I've only known you for a few months," Seri mused. "Even though we've dedicated years to each other."