Fated To Love You

Some Sushi in Garosugil

Despite having that heart to heart conversation with Son Mi, there was no denying that Ih Na still thought about Yong Hwa and their failed relationship. He may have used her more than he loved her, but it wasn't easy to throw those seven years away. They had some good memories, after all, and that was one of the major reasons why she was still holding on to the possibility that they might just get back together; not right away, but soon.

Ih Na was frustrated with herself because she knew very well that she deserved better, that there was some other guy who would show her what it really meant to be loved, yet here she was, so fixated with Yong Hwa despite his many red flags. It might have been because he was the first person to ever show interest and affection towards her, two things that she had longed for after losing her parents at such a young age.

Ih Na might have been raised well by her mother's older sister, and was embraced by her entire family as if she was their own, but Ih Na still longed for interest and affection that was solely for her, and this was what she had found with Yong Hwa.

Ih Na was scared that if she would let him go completely, she would never find someone like him, so here she was, looking at her handphone, debating with herself as to whether or not, she should give him a call.

Just as Ih Na was about to make up her mind, her handphone started ringing. It was an unregistered number.

Usually, she would continue on with whatever she was doing, but something in her sensed that the call was important, thus she had picked up after the fourth ring.

"Yobosaeyo (Hello)? Jasineul sogaehasibsio (Introduce yourself please)." Ih Na said in a monotonous tone.

Her greeting was met with a manly laugh; one she recognized quite clearly.

"Lee Rae Won imnida (It's Lee Rae Won)." The now identifed caller replied.

Ih Na sighed in annoyance.

"How did you get my number?" She asked. "Shouldn't Son Mi be the one contacting you, and not me?"

"Well, first and foremost, I contacted you. It's the other way around." Rae Won replied. "And I got your phone number from Son Mi. You know what, I actually didn't think she would give it right away, but-"

"What's your deal?" Ih Na asked. "If you want me to say thank you for rescuing me from that pervert and for returning my cellphone, thank you. Thank you very very much." She added.

"You're welcome." Rae Won said, his voice sounding less playful now. "Actually, I just called to ask if you've already made up your mind regarding assisting me with the photospread. I was intending to start tomorrow since I only have two weeks to shoot and edit everything. That's all."

Suddenly, Ih Na felt guilty about being so mean and unwelcoming towards Rae Won. She wasn't normally like this towards people who have done her good, but considering her current mindset and the situation she was in right now, she just wasn't in the mood for laughter and making new friends.

"So you called about that." Ih Na said. "Actually... can we talk about this over lunch?" She asked.

Rae Won's eyes widened.

"Um... sure." He replied.

"There's a sushi place near our main office here in Garosugil. I'll just meet you there at 12:00 noon." Ih Na said. "That's about an hour from now, so I hope you're not going to be late. I have a team meeting at 1:30."

"Neh (Yes). I'll see you there." Rae Won responded, and then their brief call was ended.

For some reason, Rae Won felt nervous. He felt the need to look good and to smell good despite the fact that this was supposed to be just another lunch date. Was it because he might have had a crush on Ih Na? It was still too early to tell, but one thing's for sure. He needed to move now if he didn't want to disappoint her with his tardiness.

At about 11:50 am, Ih Na had already arrived at the sushi place. Since she was a regular customer, the staff knew her spot and her orders very well.

"Salmon sashimi, tuna avocado maki and ebi tempura?" Her favorite middle-aged waitress uttered.

"Neh (Yes). But, unnie, can you make it two orders for each? I'm expecting someone." Ih Na replied.

"O, kureoji (Oh, sure). Dangsine namjachingu (Your boyfriend)?"

Ih Na shook her head in response.

"Aniyo (No). Geunyang chingu (Just a friend)."

As if on cue, Rae Won entered the sushi place on the dot. He was wearing a biege cashmere sweater, paired with denim pants and loafers.

It was quite obvious that he was very good-looking, but his laidback fashion sense made him stand out all the more. Ih Na even noticed some teenage girls and a group of ladies swoon as he passed them by.

"12:00 noon. I'm right on time." Rae Won smiled as he took the seat right across Ih Na.

"Yeah, you are." She agreed. "By the way, I already ordered. If there's any thing more that you want, we can ask for the menu. Feel free to order anything. Lunch is on me."

"Ani, gweanchanha (No, it's okay). I'll go with whatever it is that you ordered. I'm not a picky eater, anyway." Rae Won responded.

When silence fell upon them, Ih Na knew that this was the right time to tell Rae Won of her decision. It was as simple as a yes or a no, but she decided to begin with thanking him for saving her a few nights back. This time, genuinely.

"Gomawoyo (Thank you). Chincha (Really)." Ih Na began. "I may have been really drunk that night, but I remembered that you were the one who saved me from that weird guy." She added. "I also remembered that you brought me home, helped me sober up and that... I kissed you."

"About the kiss," Ih Na bit her lip, feeling really embarrassed. "Mian (Sorry). Just think of it as an... accident. A really bad accident that I want the both of us to forget." She added.

"I really did want to thank you for helping me out, but I was too embarrassed to do so, which explains me leaving so abruptly. But then, I saw you at work and you were being so annoying and I wasn't exactly in the mood to be annoyed, so..."

When Ih Na had realized that she was blabbering on, she momentarily took a pause then sighed.

"To put it bluntly, I just wanted to say thank you and I'm sorry."

Rae Won smiled.

"All I really wanted to do that night was listen." He began. "I was sitting beside this drunk lady whose sentiments on love and relationships deserved to be heard, so I sat there and listened to her without her knowing. I wasn't really intending on giving any inputs, but then some pervert got in the way and I knew I had to do something. I just couldn't allow someone so vulnerable to fall into the hands of someone so vile, you know. It just isn't right."

"But I'm sorry as well for listening to your rants. I just couldn't help it. You were right beside me and the volume of your voice was loud enough to fill the entire bar."

Ih Na smiled.

"It's okay. I wanted to be heard anyway, so thank you again... for being there to listen." She said. "And I'm not going to beat around the bush anymore. I filed for a two-week leave from work, so it's a yes."

Rae Won lit up.

"But I don't want to carry all your heavy equipment, alright? I signed unto this because I wanted to take a break from work and I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to do so." Ih Na said.

"Don't worry, I won't be bringing any heavy equipment anyway. Just 2 extra DSLRs, 5 battery packs, 6 camera lenses, 2 Polaroid cameras..." Rae Won teased. "I'm kidding, okay?"

Ih Na smiled again.

"We're going to have fun. That I can assure you." Rae Won uttered. "And before I forget... you should smile more often. It really suits you."

Ih Na seemed to be a bit taken aback by Rae Won's compliment, that she wasn't quite sure what and how to answer. It was a good thing that the food had arrived just in time. She couldn't afford to have yet another embarrassing moment in front of him.

"Pab meokja (Let's eat)." Ih Na invited, the smile she had never leaving her face.