EUPHORIA ¦ PARK JIMIN

Chapter 19

October 10, 2010

Jimin walked inside the buildings, greeting back the employees that greeted him and bowed at him. Yoongi who walked with him found it strange but at the same time, he was happy that Jimin was no longer that rude person. When he reached the department, the employees all stood up from their seats, bowed at him and greeted him good morning.

'Good morning,' Jimin replied, with a smile then went walking ahead, while Yoongi still smiled.

'Omo, what's wrong with him this days greeting us?' Min Ji gasped and fell back on her seat so did the rest.

'Annyeonghi jumu syeoss-eoyo, huijang-nim--sajang-nim,' Ha Eun greeted.

'Kapjagiya,' Jimin jolted, not noticing that Ha Eun was at her desk.

Ha Eun and Yoongi perplexed, Jimin entered his office without greeting Ha Eun back.

'Wow, being nice to people is even harder than I thought,' Jimin sighed.

'You mean being nice to JungBiseo,' Yoongi added. 'You practically greeted everyone back along the way except for her and its been two weeks yet you still can't greet her back,'

'Mwo? Aniya. That's what I always d--'

Then the door opened. Ha Eun walked in a tray of coffee for two. Jimin cleared his throat and Ha Eun noticed the difference in atmosphere. She thought it must just be because Yoongi was around or because she felt awkward with Jimin about the things that had happened a week ago.

'Huijang-nim, you have no scheduled appointments or meeting today,' Ha Eun said. 'But, Madam Park called awhile ago, requesting that you meet her during lunch later.'

'Uri eomma (my mom)? Oneul (today)?' Jimin exclaimed then Yoongi choked on his coffee, after abruptly remembering the reason why Jimin is suddenly being called by his mother.

'I'm good,' Yoongi announced.

'Ne, huijang-nim,' Ha Eun replied to Jimin's questions.

'Wae geunyeo hante jeonhwa haess-eo (Why did she call you)?' Jimin questioned when his mother could've called him instead. After two weeks that he thought he could get away from his mom, here she came.

'She said you weren't answering your phone. She insisted that you come later during lunch,' She said.

Having nothing more to say to him, Ha Eun bowed and left the office. She went back to her desk then Min Ji came rushing in.

'Ha Eun, what's wrong with huijang-nim? Why is he in a good mood?' She asked.

'Jinja? Naneun moleunda. Waeyo?'

'You see...' Minji began with her hands being in action and waving every where as she started to talk. 'When he came in just now, he greeted us good morning when we greeted him. It's very unusual of him. Something must've happened,'

'Probably.' Ha Eun replied.

'Could it be that he has found a girlfriend?' Minji guessed that made both their eyes widened.

'Or... his girlfriend and him had s---' Minji continued but Ha Eun immediately covered her mouth.

'I think that's alittle too much and no gossiping in work,' Ha Eun laughed awkwardly.

'Ah, guerae. Mianhe,' Minji said and excused herself to get back to her desk.

When Minji was out of sight, Ha Eun shuddered at the erotic thought that Minji had.

When lunch had arrived, Ha Eun had stopped by the restaurant that Jimin brought her a few days ago. Along her walk, she couldn't help but think about Taemin. I wonder how is he? She thought painfully. He was a possessive ex-boyfriend, Ha Eun admitted that but regardless of that facts that he had nearly killed her at one point, she pitied him.

She wished he would just rot in jail because of what he's done but the other side of her just thinks that he needed help. He needed someone to help him get through the problems he had.

'Have you heard? Lee Taemin has been sent to the mental institution,' She heard her fellow bypassers say.

'Mwo? Lee Taemin? The business man?' One didn't seem to be able to believe it.

'Geureomyo (Yes). He's been there for a few days already, ' The other replied.

Taemin; he wasn't mental or crazy. He wasn't born that way. It was his dark childhood that made him like that. His parents were drug lords. He was abused when he was young and his older brother, left him after being able to escape from their home which Taemin referred to as hell. Locked up since a child and brainwashed about so much false substances, forced to use drugs and his brother leaving him, that made him that way.

Upon reaching the restaurant, she purchased her lunch and while waiting, she sat down on an empty table which just happened to be two tables away from Jimin, his mother and another woman in the same age as Ha Eun.
Jimin who had noticed Ha Eun sitting alone had completely forgotten that his mother and his 'blind date' was there.

'Adeul (son), what are you looking at?' His mom asked and both her and the woman turned their heads to look at the direction Jimin was looking at.

Ha Eun who had just received her take out order immediately left, not noticing Jimin and entering a cab.

'Who's that?' The woman with them named Chae In asked.

'None of your business,' Jimin replied,when his phone vibrated, upon receiving a text from Ha Eun.

His mother sighed at his attitude and Chae In merely gave Jimin's mother a smile.

"Huijang-nim, since you have no scheduled appointments today, will it be okay if I won't be at the office for an hour ot two? I just have something important to do. "

Instead of replying to her texts, he called her.

'Eodiro gani (Where are you going)?' He asked.

His mother was slowly getting irritated that her son had no interest in the woman she had brought for him but Chae In, was having more interest on him and she was ready to everything to have his heart.

'Huijang-nim, it's personal. I cannot tell you. Joseonghabnida,' She replied.

'Wae? Naneun neoui sangsa ya. Nega eodi issneunji al-aya hae (I'm your boss. I need to know where you are)' He blurted out so loud that even the costumers in the restaurant jolted in surprise.

'Huijang-nim? Yeoboseyo? Huijang-nim? Naneun neoreul deur-eul su eobsda (I can't hear you),' Ha Eun said only to get away from Jimin when she could hear him perfectly.

'Ya! JungBiseo! JungBiseo!' Then the call went dead.

'That woman..' he mumbled under his breath.

'You seem to care so much about your secretary,' Chae In butted in.

'Geuraesseo mwoya (so what)?' He answered rudely and texted Ha Eun that she should be back in two hours.

'Adeul..' His mom whined and kicked him on the leg.

'Nega yeogi issdamyeon naneun sang-gwan eobs-eo (I don't care if you're here),' Jimin said to Chae In and then looked at his mother. 'Hajiman, eomeoni, naneun geunyeo reul joh-ahaji anh-a (But, mother, I don't like her),'

'Aigoo, adeul, mwolago malhago issni (Son, what are you saying)?' His mother laughed awkwardly but her gaze at him was scolding him so much already.

'Eomma, geumanhe. Nega wonhaneun geol... (mom, stop it. What you want...) ,' Jimin snapped. 'Geugeos-eun gyeolko ganeung haji anh-eul geos-ida (It will never be possible)'

He stood up from his chair and bowed to them. 'Joseonghabnida,'