In Another Life: Han Ji Pyeong's Happy Ending (Start Up)

Chapter 43: Small White Flurries

Ji Pyeong's POV

"Oh? Look!" I exclaim excitedly as we step out of the airport and small white flurries start falling from the sky.

"It's snowing!" Dal mi says excitedly as she catches the white fluff in the air. The small bits of snow and ice melt instantly upon contact with our hands. The temperature still doesn't seem to know that it'll be winter soon.

"Oh! It's cold." Dal mi exclaims as the frosty bites touch her hand.

"Here." I say, taking her hand and putting it in my pocket. With her hand in mine, nestled in my pocket, we make our way back to the car.
"Where shall we go?" I ask her, asking her where she wants to buy Halmeoni's birthday present.

"Mmm, I think I should get her a winter vest." Dal mi says thoughtfully. "Halmeoni's coat is so old and run down already. I'm worried that she'll get cold in this weather." Dal mi says, peering at the sky and small white flakes catch onto her eyelashes and fringe.

"Wait, don't blink." I say as I gently brush the white specks from her eyelashes.
"Let's go to the department store, then." I suggest and Dal mi nods excitedly.

~

Dal mi spins between the racks of clothes like a mini whirlwind. I watch her in amusement as she sweeps through the various winter coats.
"What do you think?" She asks me, holding up one of the coats.

"Fur trimmed? Halmeoni may say that it'll be hard to clean if batter or sauce gets onto it." I suggest, already able to imagine the way Halmeoni would fuss over the coat that is impossible to clean.
"Ah, you're right." Dal mi says and resumes her search amongst the various coats. "Ah! I know! This one!" Dal mi says, holding up a coat and I almost fall back in laughter. She holds up a very gaudy coat that has a very loud, red, heart shape pattern.

"Mm yes, she'll definitely be drawing a lot of attention around her." I chuckle.
"I should get you a matching one as well." Dal mi smirks and reaches out to take another one of those bright, loud coats and holds it against my body.

"Ah, no, no, no." I shake my head and cross my arms. "I think Halmeoni should be the only lucky one to wear this stunning thing." I laugh.

"Really? I think you'd look so cute in it." Dal mi jokes and places it back on the clothes rack.

After a while, Dal mi finally settles on a winter jacket for Halmeoni.

"Do you think she'll like it?" She asks me at the cashier.
"Of course." I say.

As we walk towards the exit, we pass by the Men's Section.

"Oh wait!" Dal mi says as something catches her eye. She drags me along with me.

"Oooh, check this out." She says as she holds up a black shirt with discrete silver lines on it and a plunging V neckline. The mannequin pairs this shirt with a leather jacket. Dal mi holds it against my body and I laugh in amusement with her.

"Yah, this will expose my whole chest." I laugh, looking at the ridiculous shirt.
"Why? I think it's sexy." Dal mi winks at me and I try to stop myself from blushing.

"Actually, wait. You're right. That's a bad idea." Dal mi says and shakes her head. She places the revealing shirt back onto the clothing rack.

"I cannot show off too much of my handsome boyfriend, if not other girls will come clawing after you. Oh dear, that can't happen." Dal mi pretends to shiver.

"Ji pyeong ah," Dal mi says, looking intently at my face. "Why are you so handsome?" She asks cheekily.

I'm pleasantly at a loss for words. As I try to stop the blushing that stretches all the way from my neck to the tip of my ears, someone calls me.

"Hey! Han Ji pyeong?" I turn to face the voice. A smile flutters across my face as I see an old friend. "Oh! Park Jeong u!" I say in pleasant surprise as I see my old friend.
"How are you!" Jeong u says and reaches out to give me a friendly hug.

"I'm doing good! How are you?" I ask him.

"I'm sure you're doing better than fine. I saw your interview in the magazine. Aish, I was so impressed. And jealous." Jeong u laughs. I laugh along.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you had company." Jeong u says and nods politely at Dal mi. "Hello." He greets her.

"Ah Jeong u, this is my girlfriend, Seo Dal mi." I say with pride.

"Wah Han Ji pyeong, I never knew that you could catch a girl." Jeong u jokes and I sigh with faint amusement as his usual comical personality. "It's nice to meet you, Ms Dal mi." Jeong u says.

"It's nice to meet you." Dal mi says and smiles.

"Ah, this is my wife. Seon a? Where are you?" Jeong u gestures to the lady standing a few feet away from us. "And I'm here with my brother as well." Jeong u says.

"Oh? Your brother? I thought you were an only child?" I ask Jeong u.

"Not a biological brother. But he's as close to me as a brother could be. Hong Du sik. My dongsaeng." Jeong u says affectionately. "I'm recruiting him to work with me at YK Asset Group." Jeong u says.

"Oh, there he is!" Jeong u says affectionately as a young man emerges from the dressing room in a black suit.

"Seon a, is this okay? I feel so weird in a suit." The young man named Hong Du sik says as he looks up from the suit that he wears. As Du sik looks up at us, I almost make a double take as I see his face which is almost a stunning reflection of mine.

"Oh my." Jeong u's wife is the first one to react as she looks at the young man's face and my face. "You two..." She says with amazement.

"You two look the same. Like exactly the same." Dal mi also says in wonderment as she peers between the two of us. I cover my dropped jaw with my hand. "Ji pyeong! You have a doppelgänger!" Dal mi whispers to me excitedly.

The young man named Hong Du sik looks at us with a puzzled, but amused, face.
"Hyung?" He directs the question towards Jeong u.

"Ah Du sik ah, this is my old friend. I knew him in high school and in the army. Han Ji pyeong. He works at SH Venture Capital." Jeong u introduces the two of us. "Han Ji Pyeong, Hong Du sik. Hong Du sik, Han Ji pyeong." Jeong u introduces the both of us formally.

I smile brightly at me, absolutely amused at the similarity.

"Nice to meet you." I smile, stretching out a hand to Du sik. It's absolutely hilarious. Du sik and I both study each other's faces carefully, as if trying to find the slightest difference in our faces but can't seem to find any.

"It's nice to meet you." Du sik says and smiles with amusement.

"Are you two somehow related?" Seon a asks, still unable to believe her eyes. "You even have the same dimples." She laughs.

"They're so good looking that the universe decided there had to be two of them." Jeong u jokes.

"You will be working at YK Asset Group?" I ask Du sik, already starting to like this guy. He gives me good vibes.

"Yes, I'll be trying to follow in Hyung's footsteps." Du sik says shyly.

"I'm sure you'll do a great job." I say encouragingly. Du sik beams back at me.

"Wah, he really does look like you." Dal mi says as we nod goodbye and go on our way.

"Doesn't he? I'm still in shock." I laugh as I look back to see the three of them laughing happily. "Should I start having a centre parting? Maybe I'll look younger." I joke, think of Du sik's hair.

"Like this?" Dal mi asks as she draws my fringe down the centre, in the similar way that you'd draw curtains. "I still think this is the best." She jokes as she pats my fringe down to cover my whole forehead.

"Yah!" I laugh as I try tossing my fringe back to its original form.