For finals next week, Alice has to do her presentation for her building project while I'm pretty much done with all my major assignments.
She's been a little stressed about wrapping everything up for the semester, us graduating and all. So I offered that she packs all her schoolwork so she can get some studying done on the plane—but only on the condition that as soon as we touch down her homework has to be the last thing on her mind.
Though reluctant, my little studying machine finally agreed.
"Repeat after me." We were sitting together in the lunch room.
The Starbucks located right outside the entrance to the eating area was bustling, as always, with green and goose-white garbed athletes—of the volleyball variety this time. Our table was seated towards the back corner of the eating area inside, allowing me a full view of their female gesticulation. A good distraction if I were panicking. Which I was not. In fact, now was the time where I needed complete concentration; the way this conversation went was very important to me and I couldn't have otherwise therapeutic raucousness turn this moment foolish.
I would have brought Alice to the library if she hadn't been hungry and was going to have class in the next ten minutes. I would just have to make the best of this small window of time I have with her.
A couple of girls called out to Alice to get her attention—most likely her friends from her club—but I took her face in my hands to redirect her focus to me. To us.
She tried to pull away. "Don't do that, they're looking at us—"
"Everyone already knows we're dating, anyway. Now listen and repeat after me," I say, switching to Korean.
" 한국말로요*?" she asked, hesitantly switching to Korean as well.
*In Korean?
"Yes. I want you to put all three years of my private tutoring sessions to practice."
A smile spread across her glossed lips. But the uncertainty caused them to waver. "네*."
*Okay.
"Good girl." I took my hands from her face and held both of her hands. "재밌게 놀게요.*"
*I'll have fun.
"재밌게 놀게요," she echoed.
"긴장을 풀겠습니다.*"
*I'm going to relax (honorific)
"나는 긴장을 풀 거야*," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
*I'm going to relax (no honorific)
I tsked at her."아니! 그럴 생각은 아니었잖아. 아니!*"
*Nope! You didn't mean it. Again!
"아니~!*" she laughed self-consciously. I pinched her cheek, refusing to join her laughter.
*No! (Drawn out playfully)
"I said, 아니."
Finally, she huffed a sigh and lowered her head in concession. After she repeated the sentence in a more satisfactory tone, I nodded my approval and continued.
"우리는 탐험할 것이다.*"
*We will explore.
YOU ARE READING
Dreams: Diary of a Chaebol
Short StoryAlexander Cho is the handsome only son of one of the biggest conglomerates in South Korea. But his world violently spins into darkness after he is forced to split up with his foreigner lover and contend with the shocking crimes of his family's busin...
