4. Never ready.
"Noona, you're good friends with coach Jung?" asked He Soo when he saw Na Ra come out of her room this morning, on the weekend, so Na Ra is free to roam around, but today she is coming to Gangnam for Se Young's wedding. The woman is graceful when her body is dressed in a simple sling split black dress with a mid-mid-section knitting a casual overcoat of brown when it touches her skin.
"We were friends in college." Na Ra placed a cream-colored stiletto before checking her last appearance on an oval glass attached to the wall next to the bedroom door, leaving her hair free.
Fifteen minutes ago Jung Tae Oh sent a text message if he was on the way, it should be here by now.
"So you plan to start a relationship over?" asked Kim He Soo impulsively, even though he felt relaxed enough as if he his nothing to lose, and he sat down on the sofa in the sitting room and carried a laptop.
Na Ra bug-eyed. "Don't be unreasonable like that, Kim He Soo should study hard. I don't want to hear or see if your flashlight drops like last year." She has a volatile character when it comes to courtship.
"Sister, are you really my sister or the teacher at school?"
"Me? Second of all, I can be anything, I'm your mother, your grandmother, your teacher, and all. So, no funny business, be nice while I'm gone, and don't forget to lock the door if you're thinking of getting out, I might be home in the evening, He Soo. Do you understand me?"
Kim He Soo nodded. "Yes, you say the same thing every time it goes far, I memorize it in my head. Be careful on the road, say hello to coach Jung."
"Yes." Kim Na Ra went out after opening the door, intending to call Jung Tae Oh's number, but a car his already stopped in front of the fence.
"Is he Tae Oh?"
Someone got out of the car, a man in a brown suit like Na Ra waved at her, it was Jung Tae Oh.
Na Ra approached, smiling at Tae Oh's presence. "You seem eager."
"Right, this excuse kept me away from Seoul for a while."
"So, what about your coffee shop?"
"Safe, my sister came to help today, and she's dependable. Gangnam is not as far as Tokyo anyway, we only need a few hours, right?"
"Yes, it is."
"Come in, agassi¹." Sounds sarcastic, but the truth is, he opened the door to Kim Na Ra before moving around the hood. "Keep your seat belt on, you'll have to stay there for another two hours. Can you?"
"Dae."²
***
The garden party is the subject of Se Young's and her husband's wedding, as seen from the white bride room, flowers used especially for the photo shoot-area of the area where many of the guests deliberately take photos using their mobile phone cameras, or solicit the photographers that Se Young hired.
The more beautiful decorations with curtains as well as fairy lights, look at the floral skeletons surrounding Se Young's head.
The woman dressed in a white v neck dress with a halves-transparent baloon sleve that makes her so pretty, while his partner relate wears a black suit and a bow tie, their face is seen more reflected in today.
Since recently got out of the car, Kim Na Ra and Jung Tae Oh have met a lot of people, and most of them are college friends who are so easily recognized. Na Ra was helped enough to come with Tae Oh, because everyone who greeted them must have a partner. Na Ra began to wonder, is it compulsory to bring a partner to the wedding day of someone else?
Does it trigger a great sin if it comes alone?
"Na Ra-ssi, it looks like we have to start in line for the photo shoot," says Tae Oh when he see so many people swarming around the photo shoot area so beautiful that a bride and groom are forgotten for just one or two photos.
"Dae, you guard the area and don't let anyone else break through. I want to see Se Young first."
"Dae."
Kim Na Ra parted from Tae Oh, she followed the red carpet stretching long enough between the table and the chairs for the guests, her decorations were so beautiful that Na Ra couldn't stop admiring, this must be a wedding that many couples dream about.
"Omo! Kim Na Ra!" Se Young and her husband stood at the altar, they were so cute and envious, so it seemed, but the fantasy of marrying at twenty five didn't cross her mind.
"Annyeonghaseo."³ Na Ra hugged Se Young. "Congratulations on your marriage, Se Young. Very fast, you have to hold it tight, don't let go."
"Sure, I won't take it off. Trust me." The embrace regardless, Se Young looked at her old friend from top to bottom. "You're so beautiful and still like the old Kim Na Ra, why on my wedding day should be jealous of someone else. Tell me why, Na Ra-ssi?"
Kim Na Ra laughed softly. "Look at you, you're like a queen, and I'm just a rabble who came here to beg for food."
They laughed together, Na Ra also shook hands with Se Young's lawful husband.
"Ah, right. Who are you here with?"
"I—"
"Never mind, it doesn't matter. Don't you have a boyfriend? You never talk about it in group, so we all think that, but it doesn't matter if you come alone." She won't even let Na Ra explain, as Tae Oh doesn't even exist. "Since he was here, I was so surprised, I thought he would not come, turn up and take his camera around. He says he's ready to be an improvised photographer on my show without getting paid. Omo! Choi Daniel is crazy!"
Daniel?
Na Ra looked around, but without seeing her former lover there, she refocused on Se Young as she continued talking.
"In the middle of nowhere, Choi Daniel, many of my guests, especially the women groping him out of sight, he's like a shining actor who has so many fans, I feel that people seem to forget their purpose to come here. Omo! Aren't we unfortunate brides?" Se Young is a bit gloomy, of course just joking, all the illustrations really do capture the moment when Choi Daniel shows up, always stealing attention and making others focus on him.
"Hey, Jung Tae Oh."
Na Ra turned her head, and Tae Oh chose to approach instead of waiting in line for her picture.
"You failed?" asked Na Ra.
"If you were there with me, there must have been a better reason, but I was there alone, and all the women asked me to beat them. Tell me, what should I do?"
Kim Na Ra smiled. "Mian."*
"You both came? You guys together?" Se Young's jaw almost fell from opening her lips too wide, while Tae Oh and Na Ra looked at each other for a while and laughed. "Hey, what's so funny? I seriously ask, almost everyone who comes is a couple."
Na Ra shook her head. "Aniyo, we're still friends. We met only yesterday, and Tae Oh was the basketball coach at K-high school, and I came to support my brother there, Kim He Soo."
"Jinjja? Nice meeting. Seems like people are discovering each other these days, like two polar magnets." Se Young's words have a deep enough meaning, if one does understand them.
"Ah, congratulations on your marriage, Se Young." Tae Oh almost forgot him, he asked Se Young to shake hands with him. "And—" He looked at the bridegroom, a face unfamiliar to him.
"Park Yo Joo."
"And Park Yo Joo. Bangawayo." Tae Oh smiled sincerely. "You must take good care of Se Young, your wife didn't stay still in college, jumped around like a 'Ice Age' chipmunk looking for peanuts."
"Aish!" Se Young hit Tae Oh's arm and made Kim Na Ra laugh again, why would an altar be a laughing post.
"Thank you very much for coming, so from Seoul to 7/Gangnam? It's not bad, you'll be tired, join the others."
"Dae. We discussed to eat japchae after arriving," says Tae Oh. "Come on, Na Ra." He touched Na Ra's shoulder, they moved away from the altar, leaving room for another guest to meet the bride.
Japchae is processed vermicelli or dangmyeon mashed with smoked meat, carrots, peppers, spinachia, Onions, and shiitake mushrooms. This menu often serves as a banquet for weddings.
"Na Ra-ssi, do you want a picture?" asked Tae Oh.
"Aniyo, it's still crowded, let's do it later." Na Ra looked around, hoping she wouldn't see Choi Daniel anywhere. She feels uneasy even if Se Young doesn't tell him then Na Ra will feel at home.
"You want a drink?"
Na ra nodded. "Dae."
"Wait a minute, I'll get it." Tae Oh moved away, but before touching two glasses of water, an old friend stopped him from making friends and asked him to sit down, put Tae Oh's work on hold.
Kim Na Ra is still waiting, she pulls her phone out of sling bag and plans to contact He Soo, and she can't be too far from the brat. Na Ra types a message for Tae Oh, so as not to lose it if Na Ra calls outside, it's too crowded and noisy in here.
(Tae oh, I went out to call he soo, in case he left without locking the door.)
Na Ra moved away from the crowd and stopped by the line of cars, then called He Soo's number. "Hey!"
"Why are you calling? Did something bad happen there?" She heard He Soo's voice.
"Of course because I'm worried about you, what else?"
"Aish, I have no plans to go anywhere. Today will only be playing games."
"Jinjja?"
"Yeah, don't forget to buy something for me when you get back."
"Be careful at home, don't forget to lock the door. I'm hanging up." Na Ra spent two days at the office outside the city, contacting Kim He Soo every hour, every time Na Ra was worried. The high school student could do anything on his own, cleaned the house skillfully He Soo, and then took his dirty laundry to the laundry.
"I don't want to go back inside, can I stay here," she murmured.
"Wae?"
Kim Na Ra looked back, surprised to see someone standing behind her, the man smiled and held the camera strap in his right hand, a face she recognized, but was never seen again after three years.
Daniel?
***
¹Agassi : Single woman
²Dae : Yes
³Annyeonghaseo : How are you?
*Mian : Sorry