Kang Chi: Beyond Life and Time

Chapter 11: Beyond Life: Another Encounter

It had been a couple of hours since the Prince of Dubai's business party began, and Yeo Wool had been standing by the closed entrance door of the grand banquet hall for the same period of time. She could feel hunger—and boredom—seeping in.

To amuse herself, she checked on Jung Ju through the handheld radio.

"Jung Ju-ya..." She called over as she pressed the talk button. "How's everything at your position?"

"All clear, seonbaenim." Jung Ju answered.

"Ya...All these partying is making me hungry." She blurted out of context.

"Relax, seonbaenim. We'll have our fill later."

At least a couple more hours passed, and the party ended. Their mission accomplished, they began finalizing the report for the event. The hotel administrator and the Prince's entourage acknowledged their hard work and were highly commended for it. They were treated by the management by telling them to have their fill of the food from the party. After most of the guests were gone, and only about a handful were left, she went to the buffet table and served herself. Everyone else followed her lead.

As they were having their fill, a man passing by caught her attention.

It's Kang Cheol Daepyonim!

Unwarily, her eyes followed him. Her neck elongated as she tried to keep him in her sight until he was out of her view.

"Seonbaenim..." Jung Ju called her attention, as he checked on who she was looking at. "Geugeon nuguyeosseo?"

"Amudo..." She answered, grateful that he did not catch a glimpse of him. If he did, she would have a lot of explaining to do.

They were still finalizing the report on the event as they finish their meal. But unbeknownst to everyone around her, she was discreetly looking around for...him.

Where could he be?

"Seonbaenim..." Jung Ju called her out back to the task on hand.

"Eo...Wae...Waeyo? Mwoya?" She absentmindedly answered.

"Can we go now?"

Ani...I don't want to...Geunyang...Ajikeun anida.

"Eo...Ye. Kabshida."

They all stood up to leave, but as she did, her chair toppled over with her bag hanging on it. She bent to pick it up and felt her right contact lens popped.

"Omo!" She exclaimed. "My contacts...."

Everyone was searching for it when her phone rang and Captain So's loud agitated voice blared out of her phone's speaker, deafening her.

"What the heck is taking you so long?! The event ended an hour ago! Come back right now!"

Everyone straightened up and prepared to leave.

"Geokjeongmaseyo, gwaenchanhayo." She assured them. "I just have to make a quick stop at the washroom. Go wait for me in the car."

Everyone agreed and headed out of the hotel while she headed towards the restroom. Inside it, she rummaged through her bag, searching for her contact lens case. She removed the remaining one and put on her glasses.

Aagghh! So nerdy....Sigh.

She took one last glance at herself in the mirror before turning to head out.

"Kkamjjagiya!" She exclaimed at the sight of a man in a suit by the entrance. He was apparently more shocked than her as he scrambled to get out.

Nuga? Byeontae....

She proceeded to get out of the restroom but was caught by surprise upon seeing the man just outside the entrance. His hands were in his pockets, and he was staring at her with a smile that seemed to tell her of something she was not aware of.

Huh! It's him! Choi Kang Cheol Daepyonim!

"W-waeyo? M-mwol weonhaseyo?" She asked apprehensively.

To her annoyance, he did not answer. He just smiled at her, as if certain that the answer to her question would come to her any moment now.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the sign behind Kang Cheol's head. It was the international symbol for female, which meant....

Huh!

Her hands instinctively covered her mouth as she made her way past him, ignoring everything that just happened, just as her common sense told her to.

"Officer Dam..." He called out as she hurriedly walked away, ignoring him. "Oraenmanieyo. It's nice to see you again."

She lowered her head in embarrassment as she proceeded to the revolving door of the hotel. Just a few more steps and she would be out. She reached for the door and pushed at it with might, thinking of getting out as quickly as possible when....

The revolving door got stuck when her bag was caught in between the revolution. She was trapped inside, unsure whether to pull back and return inside or push forward and get out completely. But whichever she chooses, it would do no good because she was just simply...trapped.

She saw Kang Cheol watching from afar, amused at her predicament. Embarrassment washed over her that she wished for the ground to swallow her up.

Kang Cheol began walking fast towards her. She struggled to push and pull herself free, not wanting him to catch up on her. A security guard came to help her as Kang Cheol began running.

No! He can't....

The guard pulled the door back and her bag wedged in between was released. She then pushed forward and got out of the hotel before Kang Cheol reached the door. She ran towards the parking lot where her team was waiting for her by the car.

Talk about embarrassing encounters....

She passed the car keys to Jung Ju and asked him to drive.

Inside the car, she could not help but think about what transpired earlier. She closed her eyes, trying her best to let go and forget about the distressing occurrence that would surely haunt her for days to come.

"Seonbaenim...." Jung Ju asked upon noticing her silence. "Gwaenchanhayo?"

No...Not after what happened....

"Ne. Waeyo?" She answered instead.

"Geulse...you look...flustered."

She did not give an answer to that. She thought if she did, the conversation would not end. She decided to put a stop to it before everyone in the car begin butting in.

All the way back to the station, she kept silent, deep in thought. This was just their second encounter, but so far, it was more embarrassing than the former. Would they keep on meeting under similar circumstances?

And why did she react the way she did earlier? How come it seemed that Kang Cheol has a different effect on her?

He's just a man. Just like the others....

Yes, he is just like the others. So why, then, is he taking too much of her thoughts lately? How long will she be like this?