Connected

Rena and Philip

I watched as Lee Know white knuckled the chair he had just got up from. "Rena, we weren't expecting you for a few more hours."

She shrugged and continued into the room, right past Lee Know. "We made really good time."

I flung my feet off the couch and bolted up as she walked right over to me. Rena giggled at my response then hugged me. "I hope everything went well?" She moved back a bit and held me at arms length. "No problems?"

I shook my head, still unsure about what to say. Plus, I was a bit worried that anything I did say would give away the entire plan.

"Good." She dropped her hands from my arms. "Lee Know, tea would be appropriate at the moment."

She turned to face him. "Oh, of course." He left the room and I watched as he fidgeted with the edge of his shirt until he disappeared towards the kitchen.

Rena plopped down on the couch and waved for me to follow. "Sit dear."

I sat down next to her and looked down at my hands in my lap.

"You're more nervous this time around than you were last time." She noted.

My gaze drifted over to her and she smiled. "My guess is that you now know who I am and what I am capable of?" I nodded.

She looked out at the rest of the room and sighed. "Sometimes ignorance really is bliss."

I shrugged. "Ignorance can act as a shield sometimes, but in the end ignorance is just ignorance."

"Well said."

I turned away from her and towards the computer screen. "No Philip today?"

"He's here wandering around a bit. He just..." I turned as she paused in her thoughts. "He thought it would be better to stay out of my way today." She giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. "Warnings are warnings for a reason."

Lee Know came back into the room with a tray of cups and an electric kettle that I hadn't seen before. "Rena, I brought you green tea. Is that alright?"

She nodded. "It will do for the afternoon."

Lee Know began to pour the water into her cup, covering the bag already sitting in the bottom. He then poured water into two other cups. He held them out to us as each one steeped.

Rena set hers back down on the table beside the computer while I held onto mine. The scent of chamomile and the barest hint of mint floated up to me as I watched the water tint. I took a deep breath to steady my own nerves.

After a couple silent moments, Lee Know sat back down in the chair with his own cup in his hands. "I trust you have been well since we saw you last, Rena."

She leaned forward, looking into her cup of tea. Waiting really did seem to be something she didn't like doing.

"Very. Seoul is always so exciting when I visit." Then she picked up the cup. "Usually, I am here for only a few hours and then leave. But this time, I was able to stay for a couple days and actually enjoy my time."

She took a sip from her cup. "Plus, the food is always amazing."

Lee Know nodded, looking down into his own cup. "I agree. There is something about Seoul that seems to have set the culinary world on fire."

Rena placed her cup back on the table. She smiled slightly. "Something about it is just so comforting. It's like a hug, or like seeing an old friend after so long."

Lee Know nodded again, bringing his cup down to rest on his leg. "No argument here." His eyes drifted around the room slightly. "No Philip today?"

Rena giggled slightly again. "Y/N asked the same question." She sighed. "So much concern, it seems."