Secrets of Attraction

Seventeen: SUZY

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate and Yoo Jaesoon.

Nam Joohyuk was wooing me.

There was no other word for it. Probably the kind of word used when Rob Roy were the drink. And men wore smoking jackets. And there were weekend visitors who actually stayed at Jeju Water. He was wooing me.

And I was eating it up.

The day had been better than I ever could have imagined. The fact that Joohyuk planned this for me was almost too much to take in. This was a day I'd never forget, no matter what happened, if anything happened, between us. And now I had a clue as to what he might have been thinking about in that picture from the dance - it must have been something to do with his ex-girlfriend if she had been there. I wanted to know more about his family, about his breakup, about him.

We drove for a while through narrow winding roads with thick, dense forest on either side. The rental labored, puttering loudly uphill and chirping down. Finally there was a small clearing with a mailbox. Jjwogi turned right, down an even narrower unpaved lane, which eventually widened into a large expanse of land. A few horses grazed in a fenced-in field. There were two corrals, and several large barns and a house that looked like a yuppie's version of a log cabin. Three dogs of various sizes and breeds came rushing up to the car, tails wagging furiously. Joohyuk slowed down. My jaw may have actually dropped.

"This is where your aunt lives?"

"Yep, cool, huh?"

"Cool? How about magnificent? Incredible?"

He smiled, cutting the engine. "How about - wait till you see the inside."

I looked out the window at our canine welcoming committee. Joohyuk got out of the car first. The dogs ambushed him, hopping around and jumping on hind legs as he made his way over to my side of the car. He knelt down and gave them each hearty scratches on the neck, going forehead to snout with the golden retriever. A woman waved from the porch as two kids galloped down the stairs to greet Joohyuk. The dogs encircled all of them in a flurry of wagging tails and paws and lolling tongues as I stepped out of the car.

The small dog, a furball of life, came tearing toward me, yipping wildly.

"That's Snow. She won't bite," a young girl with two long pigtails said.

"Hey, Snow," I said, reaching out and running my fingers across the dog's soft fur. Her coat reminded me of a pair of earmuffs I owned. She sniffed my hand and ran her little pink tongue across my fingers. I laughed and pulled my hand away.

"This is my cousin Yeji. Yeji, this is Suzy," Joohyuk said.

"Do you guys need help with your things?" she asked, scratching the dog behind the ear.

"Sure." Joohyuk pulled the bags out of the trunk. Yeji grabbed mine.

"You don't really have to do that," I said.

"No one should carry their bags on their birthday." She smiled and tromped off. I looked at Joohyuk.

"Does everyone know it's my birthday?"

"Kind of," he sheepishly smiled.

We walked toward the house. Joohyuk's aunt was still on the porch, smiling as we approached.

"Hey, about time you here," she said. "Hyunjin's been asking for you since he woke up this morning."

"Have not," said the young boy.

"Hi," I said, suddenly shy. I had the overwhelming desire for them to like me.

"Suzy, this is my aunt Julia, but everyone call her Lia," Joohyuk said. "And that guy over there is Hyunjin, the little poodle is Gaeul, and last but not least is Gabsoon, the golden retriever."