Changing

"Hi," he greeted cheerily.

Embarrassed, Yeona grew shy. She felt dumb suddenly. "Um…sorry for calling you down."

"It's fine," he said. "I noticed you weren't at work today."

She flushed and hoped her cheeks weren't a shade of pink. "Oh…yea, I had some things going on." Hesitating, unsure how to string words together she started, "Other day…I mean, the other day I realized I didn't thank you properly. I uh…so I made you lunch…I mean, it's to pay you back obviously."

Thrusting the lunch box forward she waited for him to take it. When he didn't, she bravely glanced up to see a laughing smile on his face.

"Well, thanks," he said finally taking the lunch box from her.

Finally breathing when he took it, she felt like a bomb had been taken off her chest. Yeona almost choked on her breath when he suggested, "Let's eat together."

This was as far as it went. Eating together would mean a whole new different thing. She just meant to drop lunch off and leave…immediately.

"I already ate," Yeona interjected.

"Then, sit with me at least," Sian said. Without waiting he turned and walked into the cafeteria. Yeona wanted to wham her head against the pole. Why had she been impulsive with this stupid lunch? By all means, she could have just treated him to a meal during the weekend then they'd be done and over with.

Sitting with him Yeona flushed with shyness when he opened the lunch box to view the food inside. Anxiety squeezed her from inside. She didn't want to believe she had been anticipating his reaction to the food. Geez, it would have been even better if she had left after dropping the lunch box off. Now she was stuck with watching his reaction.

"Wow," he mused, "it looks good. This is more than what I made for you. Are you sure you don't want to eat?"

"I said I ate," she repeated more aggressively than she meant to. Lowering her eyes, she bit her lower lip. She was working herself up more than necessary. Cool down, cool down she chanted to herself.

"What'd you do today?" he asked after popping the food into his mouth.

"I…" she paused wondering if she wanted to go further. "I took my in-laws to the hospital. My uh…father-in-law, Mina's father just got out of the hospital. He's going through therapy."

"Sorry about that," he sympathized. "Mina told me."

Yeona glanced at him feeling somewhat relieved that she didn't have to explain further. She had never talked about it before to anyone outside of her circle…their family.

"I'm an only child. My parents are still healthy, farming their little place," Sian explained. "I'd never had difficulty or experienced anything too traumatizing. It's my first endeavor into adulthood here."

"You sound like you're having a good time," Yeona added.

"Well, yea," he shrugged. "I'm meeting a lot of people. There isn't anything I don't like."

Which was very much like Yeol. He liked everything and everyone. And everyone liked him.

She glanced down at her hands silently wondering what she was doing, sitting here chatting it up with Sian. What point was to come of it?

She glanced back up to watch him slide something across the table toward her. A movie ticket.

"I got it from Hyuk Seok," Sian told. "The last available day is tomorrow."

Was he asking her if she wanted to go see a movie?

"We could meet up at the movies. I'll wait for you there if that makes you more comfortable," Sian said masking his own nervousness. "I could give the tickets to someone else if you're not interested."

"So, it's a freebie?" Yeona said glancing at the ticket. "I'll uh…think about it."

¤¤¤¤¤

Several minutes later with his stomach full and threatening to bulge over his belt, he watched Yeona walk out. He had been wondering about when, where, and how he'd give Yeona that ticket. Now it was over. Sian hoped he hadn't been too embarrassed over giving it. Hopefully Yeona thought nothing over the fact they would be seeing a romantic comedy.

The next morning, he woke up early and went for a long jog. When he saw people walking with their dogs, he thought about that little pug of Yeona's and wondered if she was currently on a walk with him. Returning home, he hopped into the shower and stepped out rubbing a towel over his damp hair. Sighting the ticket on the table by his bed he wondered if Yeona would really make it or if she'd given him empty words.

She would go. He was sure of it.

Relaxing, he sat around and flipped through the channels. Had a light lunch and flipped through the channels some more. When the sky began to darken, he started going through his closet for something nice to wear. Keeping in mind not to overdo himself, he pulled on jeans and a shirt. With a last check on his hair he grabbed his keys and headed out driving toward the theater with windows open.

The parking lot was densely full considering it was a Saturday night. There was a line inside for popcorn and snacks. Every nano-second people exited the theater, chatting erratically. The sky was dimming prettily and he listened to traffic flow behind the structure. Standing by the front doors he glanced at his watch again. Half an hour before the movie started. Yeona should be here already.

She would come. Wouldn't she?

Exhaling, he persuaded himself to be a little more patient. Five minutes passed before he watched a car pull into the parking lot. A group of young adults exited the car and started down the parking lot toward the building. Sian peered over them in hopes of seeing someone else. He turned to watch them enter the movie theater. Disappointed, he peered back into the parking lot. If Yeona wasn't coming, he'd be as good as embarrassed.

"What are you doing out here?" He turned to his other side to see Yeona walking up to him.

Unintentionally, his heart jumped happily. He knew she'd come.

"You're here?" he greeted masking his previous worry.

"Sorry, Olly wasn't feeling well, so I ran him over to the vet," Yeona explained as they walked in.

"Nothing's wrong?" he asked.

"He's fine," Yeona replied. Pulling out her ticket she asked glancing at it, "What's the movie again?"

"This way," he led her down the hall feeling pumped for some reason. Why did he think someone like Yeona would stand him up?

The theater room was partially full since this was the last day. Finding their seats, they sat down. The movie hadn't yet started. The logo of the movie theater was spinning on screen and chatter was vibrant.

"Did you want something to eat?" he asked wondering why he hadn't thought about it beforehand.

"No, I'm good," Yeona shook her head. He noticed her going through her phone and setting it to silent before tucking it back into her purse. Sian couldn't help but stare at the bag tucked tightly against her belly as if afraid it might get taken from her. He thought about the picture of her and her husband in her wallet and suddenly wondered how many times a day she looked at it.

Turning away he stared at the screen suddenly silent. The room darkened and ads started playing on the large screen. Throughout the movie Yeona giggled from beside him but Sian felt numb. He was disturbed but he didn't want to think about the reason behind it.

The sun had set when they walked out. "Thanks for the invite. The movie was entertaining." Yeona started.

"Have you eaten?" he wondered. "We could grab a bite somewhere nearby."

"Actually, I was thinking about just heading home," Yeona replied.

"Oh, yea…" he said realizing he shouldn't bother her any more. "It is kind of late."

"Have a good night," she simply bid her farewell and turned to walk off. He watched her unlock her car and get in before gently kicking at the ground feeling like something was amiss. Inhaling, he tucked hands into his pockets and walked off. Minutes later he ended up driving around town mindlessly. The phone in his cup holder rang several times. When he glanced at it Mina's name flashed across the screen but he didn't pick up.

¤¤¤¤¤

Olly barked and hobbled toward her when Yeona entered.

"Hi, buddy, I'm back," Yeona leaned down to pick the dog up. "Were you a good boy?" Nuzzling her face against the dog's she gave him a quick kiss on the forehead before setting him down. "I bought you some canned food as a treat for being good earlier."

Circling her legs Olly panted and let out an anxious bark. Yeona rinsed his dog bowl and opened the can before pouring out its contents. Setting the bowl back down she sat down at the kitchen table and watched Olly devour the delicacy. Nesting her chin into her palm she peered off into the living room at the wedding portrait above the furniture.

Earlier, she had pondered over whether to go to the movie or not. Part of her had worried over whether Sian had had some intention over inviting her, but when she recalled him asking for a chance as a friend, she thought she owed it to him for being kind to her. So, she had gone in an act of kindness to repay him. Thinking about it, she was glad she'd gone. The movie had been good and getting some air had been nice. And it wasn't so bad just sitting there with Sian. Come to think of it, just knowing he wanted to be friends with her wasn't so bad.

Reminiscing about her wedding day she smiled. Because there was only one man she loved.

¤¤¤¤¤

Too wide awake, Sian stared up at the movie ticket. It had just been a trip to the movies, nothing more. But he was bothered. Sighing as he dropped his hand against the bed, he stared at the ceiling this time. He just couldn't sleep.

Yeona had come in jeans and a shirt. She had appeared comfortable, had blended easily into the crowd. Tonight, she could have been anyone of those girls out on a movie night. Except, she hadn't taken his offer to go eat. The night had ended too quickly. Who knows, maybe they could have chatted some more. Even talking about her dog was fine.

Flipping over onto his stomach he buried his head into his pillow with a groan.

He slept in the following morning and woke up groggily. There was a headache pounding in his head. Grabbing leftovers, he headed over to the sofa where he lay down lazily and turned on the TV. Hours into it, his phone rang. It was still Mina calling. There were 13 missed calls from her. With no decent excuse today, he answered.

"I'm sorry, Mina," Sian apologized when they met up at noodle shop downtown. "Some things came up." He wasn't sure why they were there, but Mina was there just browsing through the displays. Behind the silver counter a chef was busily massaging dough.

"But I told you beforehand," Mina whined. "If you couldn't come, you could have just called. Or even just showed up for thirty minutes. I would have appreciated it either way."

"I'm sorry," was all he could say. It honestly had dropped his mind. He had grown anxious waiting for Yeona at the movies yesterday he'd thought about nothing else.

"Then that's all right," Mina murmured finally turning to walk out of the awkward shop.

"Hey," Sian followed her out, "I need to talk to you."

"About what?" she asked, now walking over to a candy shop. She eyed the handmade chocolate sitting on a pretty plate.

"Can we sit somewhere?" Sian asked.

Mina turned to look at him. They finally settled down outside of a bubble tea shop after he bought her refreshments. The center of the square was drizzling with consumers. Pots of flowers and green plants decorated the seating arrangements.

"If you're bribing me not to be upset, it's only halfway working," Mina muttered sliding her straw up and down. The squeaking noise from it made Sian's ears cringe.

He couldn't help but laugh. "It's not a bribe. Don't worry."

"Then, what are we talking about?" Mina glanced at him.

"Are you still staying at your friend's?" Sian asked.

She shrugged, "I'm here and there."

"You haven't thought about heading home?" Sian wondered.

"No."

"You're not worried about your parents?" Sian pressed. "I heard that recently your father had his first rehab session."

Mina glanced at him through the corner of her eyes, "Did Yeona tell you that?"

"I heard from her," he nodded.

"Is she telling you to talk to me?" Mina narrowed her eyes. "She's such a busybody."

"Yeona isn't and I'm worried for you." Sian explained. "Look, it's not always about your parents, you're right, but it's not always about you either. You're all having a hard time. I get that. I don't fully understand the politics surrounding your family, but I do know that you only have your parents once. You can't be at eye level every time or else there'd be no point with having parents, am I right?"

Mina's eyes traveled over the children playing at a nearby fountain lost in thought. "I guess."

"They're looking out for you Mina, but they won't take your future from you," Sian advised. "You have all the time to grow, to do what you wish, but your parents are running out of time. Go home and visit them if, at least, you're not going to stay. Let them see your face for a few hours. At least do that, ok?"

Eyes turning depressed, Mina slowly nodded.

An hour later, he dropped Mina off at her home. Once she disappeared inside, Sian ran his eyes over the building trying to imagine the days when Yeona came here with her husband. She must have been shaking with bliss those days. What kinds of feelings did she have when she came here now?

He drove around some more and settled back in his apartment. For a while he sat around with his eyes drifting to the cable TV then to his phone then back and forth again. Finally picking the mobile phone up, he found Yeona's name and called. After a few rings he thought she would ignore him, but she finally picked up.

"Hello?" she answered and upon hearing her voice his mind blanked. Suddenly, he wasn't sure what it was he wanted to say. "Hello?" she called out again.

"It's me," he dumbly said.

A moment of silence then she said the obvious, "I know."

A pause again. It grew awkward once more and he thought she would just hang up, so he rashly told, "I just wanted to tell you I saw Mina today. And she went home."

"That's good news." She sounded glad which was good. "How is she?"

"She looks better," he replied. Wondering if the conversation might end there he asked, "How is Olly?"

"Olly?" she repeated surprised. "He's ok."

"I passed a dog friendly park the other day. I was wondering if I could take him there." He swallowed, wondering if he sounded weird talking about the dog as if it were a child. Goodness, he'd never done anything like this before.

Thankfully, Yeona didn't seem to think much of it. She just asked, "Where is it?"

Brightening, he gave her the location. Since nothing was going on Yeona told him she wouldn't mind letting Olly out and would meet him soon. Ditching the TV Sian hurried into his bedroom and immediately began scrounging through his closet.

A little more than a half hour later he stood by the entrance of the park, a field of lush green with trees scattered and benches hammered down for visitors. Dogs were barking, running energetically to catch flying balls and frisbees. Mothers were sitting on mats in the shade with their young ones, watching their older children run around with their furry friends. He spotted butterflies flittering around and thought today would also be a good day to visit the beach. Perhaps he'd do that another day.

The sound of a car door slamming caught his attention and he recognized Yeona opening the back door for Olly to jump out. Already the dog was panting but he looked happy and eager to explore. For several seconds his eyes glazed over her outfit. Shorts, a tee, and an old button down unbuttoned over it. He was glad Yeol's family wasn't demanding her today.

"Hey," he breathed.

Olly barked a welcome and tugged Yeona toward him. "He's too excited," Yeona commented before commanding the pug to sit. When Olly did Yeona reached down to take off his leash. The dog went off running into the distance and became a gold speckle.

"I hope he doesn't get lost." Yeona whispered. Turning to head back to the car she said, "Keep an eye on him."

"Where are you going?" Sian called after her. She hadn't told him he was dog sitting, so he'd thought they were spending the day together with the dog.

"I'm getting him water," Yeona replied.

"Oh…right, he'll get thirsty," Sian muttered. She pulled out a water bottle and found a cap somewhere in her backseat. Slipping it over her head she started back toward him looking so casual and fit. If he didn't know her, he would think she was just a single woman taking her dog out for play.

She looked…unmarried.

"Where is he?" Yeona first asked when he turned to walk with her into the park. A second later she murmured, "Oh geez…" jogging forward she raised her voice, "Olly! Olly! Give that back!"

The pug was currently in a tug of war with a Yorkie. The two small dogs growled as they wrestled the tied rope between their mouths.

"Cut it out," Yeona scolded then lifted her dog up into her arms and trotted away. Olly stared off into the distance feigning innocence. Not until she reached an empty small area did she let Olly down and threw a ball out for him.

"How old is he?" Sian asked joining her under the shade.

"Two."

"Months? Years?" he asked when she didn't finish.

"Years," she replied with a quirky smile. Olly darted back toward them in a beat with the ball between his mouth. Stopping in front of Yeona with tail wagging he stared up at her waiting for praise.

"Did you find it?" she asked leaning down to rub his head. "Good boy."

He glanced at her hand when she handed him the ball. "Want to throw the next one?"

The new tennis ball was filthy wet when she dropped it into his palm. "You ready?" he asked the dog who was already prepared to make a dash for it. Stretching his arm back he flung the ball forward, watching it arch through the sky and disappearing into the distance. Olly let out a bark as he made a run after it. He, too, disappeared out of sight.

The breeze flowed past before he glanced at Yeona. They were alone, but he noticed it didn't feel like they were friends here than anywhere else. What was wrong with him?