Soo Yon-Guilt

Single mother in Korea...' I wondered aloud.

'That too a foreigner,' Cheng added. 'She sure is in for a tough time.'

'You guys sure are close,' I said with a hint of bitterness. I couldn't help but feel envious of Cheng and Mia. Mia was distant with me, keeping me at an arm's length. But with Cheng she was different. She was more free and comfortable with him.

These jealous thoughts were giving birth to a new feeling. Guilt. I cursed myself. I shouldn't get jealous of Cheng. We've been like brothers for the past twelve years, going through a lot of ups and downs together. I shouldn't be jealous of my best friend. It wasn't right.

Snap out of it, I ordered myself. Cheng was just being polite to her. But it was useless. I knew Cheng's attitude towards Mia was more than just politeness. Was he trying to sleep with her and then discard her like the other women in his life?

But Cheng was never this free and casual with the women he flirted with. He was openly talking about hooking up with other women in front of Mia. And Mia...Mia accepted this part of him. Other people judged Cheng for his open relationships. But not Mia. She accepted it, as if she understood him in ways I never did. For some reason, this understanding between them made me feel uneasy. I never gave much thought to the women in Cheng's life. But his closeness with Mia bothered me. I couldn't help but feel sour. Or maybe I was longing for this closeness with her.

Cheng must have noticed my bitter tone for he lowered his magazine and frowned at me.

'Why are you asking all this?' he asked suspiciously. 'You were never interested in people's private life, hyung.'

I don't know, I thought. Aloud I said, 'It's just that she is part of our team now. We should know more about her to make her stay with us as comfortable as possible.'

Cheng was still eyeing me suspiciously. But he decided not to probe further and returned to his magazine. My thoughts were tangled up. Who was the father of Mia's child and why wasn't he with them? Why did Mia move to Korea? So many questions and yet I had no answer. Cheng might know the full truth, but I didn't want to ask him. I realized, I'd rather hear them from Mia herself.

Mia returned after a while, holding a bunch of clothes.

'Soo-Yon sir, these are your clothes,' she said, handing me a shirt and a pair of jeans.

'Thank you, Mia,' I said. I am dropping the 'miss.' It might sound rude but to close the distance between us, I'll have to let go of honorifics. I could feel Cheng's suspicious gaze but I ignored him. Mia, on the other hand, did not notice. It did not matter to her whether someone used honorifics with her or not.

'And Cheng sshi, these are yours,' she said, handing the rest of the clothes to Cheng.

'Hey you put in a shirt!' Cheng exclaimed. 'I wanted to go shirtless!'

'The director said to keep you clothed,' Mia said absentmindedly as she gathered her notes. 'He's had enough of your shirtless endeavors.'

'Did you decide? Chocolates or flowers?' Cheng asked hopefully.

'I'd rather not,' she muttered.