Gary switched off the monitor and arranged the files on his desk, stacking them into a neat pile before shifting them towards the side of the table.
His phone light up with a buzz at that moment.
Yeobo, remember to get the groceries and.. meet him if you can.
He read the message through the pop up notification. An annoyed sigh escaped from his mouth. He pressed the power button lightly, locking his phone without replying her.
He took his briefcase, flicked the light switch off and went out of the office.
After a ten minutes drive, he arrived at the supermarket. He grabbed a shopping basket and walked down the different aisle, grabbing and dropping the items that Jihyo had told him to get into the basket. Kimchi, hot pepper paste, breakfast cereals - he struck them off the list one by one, and continued walking around until the basket was fully loaded and he had reached the end of the shopping list.
He paid for the groceries, and loaded them into the car boot. As he got into the car, he glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Twenty minutes to five. He would still be in time to meet Gwon if he choose to go but he wasn't keen.
He strapped on the seat belt and drove off.
***
Jihyo had just finished breastfeeding the babies when she heard the rustling sound of plastic bags. She gently placed the babies into their cribs, and buttoned her shirt up before leaving the room.
Gary had just settled the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter when she came out. She looked through the bags, checking if he had bought everything that she told him to.
"What are you looking for?" He asked.
"Gochujang."
"It's not here?" He looked through the bags but it was not inside. "I must have left it in the car. I'll go and get it." He said.
As he reached for his car key, Jihyo noticed the abrasions on his knuckles. Three of them were badly bruised especially the middle one.
"Wait," she said, taking his hand and looked at him. "You went to meet, didn't you?"
"You wanted me to meet him."
"I thought you said.." She paused, and shook her head, deciding to ask him something else instead.
"You hit him?" She glanced down, staring at the dried blood crusted over his raw flesh.
"If I did, you would have receive a call from the police." Jihyo shifted her gaze to his face. A slight frown settled on her face.
"Then how did you get these bruises?" She asked.
_
30 mins ago..
Gary started the car engine and drove out of the office building. He kept glancing towards the dashboard clock, with Jihyo's voice playing through the back of his mind, persuading him to meet Gwon.
He stepped on the brake, and his car slowed to a halt as he approached the red light at the junction. He looked at his watch yet again, the time ticking by.
He glanced at traffic light which was still red, and then at the side view mirror to check for any oncoming cars. When there was none, he backed his car a little and switched to the right lane, making a U-turn as the arrow sign turned green.
He pulled over in the parking lot by the roadside, unbuckled his seat belt and got down from the car.
He stopped at the store front and raised his head, and stared at the signage. S Coffee Bar.
