If We Got Married

The night before

Hong Joo was in the favorite bookstore. This library would stay open after hours for those people that were night owls that rather than go out to party, they'd prefer to sit and read. She was friendly with the employees and would often give her discounts.

As she picked out a book, her phone rang. It was a number she didn't know, but she still answered.

"Is this Hong Joo's phone?" the voice on the other end of the phone asked.

"Yes," she answered, "Who is this?"

"Hey, how're you doing? It's Ji Seok"

Hong Joo gasped. Ji Seok, Mrs. Ha Eun's brother, the man she embarrassed herself in front of the first day they met yet managed to have a pleasant conversation right after. How did he have her number? "How did you get my number?" she asked him.

"I'm Oh Ji Seok; there is nothing I can't do" Ji Seok answered, "So, you like that book?"

Hong Joo looked down at the book she was holding. How did he know she was…She looked around and saw Ji Seok waving at her from outside the store. She waved back. He hung up and walked inside. Hong Joo's cheeks quickly flushed red. The one day she dresses like shit and doesn't wear makeup, and he shows up.

"Mother was right, when I go out, I always have to dress like I'm going to go on a date," she thought to herself.

Ji Seok reached her, but when he was going in for a hug, she reaches out her hand to shake his. The atmosphere had quickly become awkward. Ji Seok moved his arms up and acted like she was stretching. He decided to go for the handshake, but immediately Hong Joo tried to go for a hug.

The atmosphere got even more awkward.

"What do you have there?" Ji Seok asked her.

"A book from my favorite author" Hong Joo showed Ji Seok the book. The first thing he noticed was the pink girly cover and the title "Where you are." To him, just by reading the title, he could tell it was a cheesy novel.

"It combines western culture with our own. I love western culture; I find it so fascinating. It's so amazing that we live on the same planet and are just an ocean away from them, and yet we have very different social norms."

"You sound as if you've never traveled outside of Korea," Ji Seok said with a smile. Hong Joo took the book from him and looked down.

"I've never left Korea. My family doesn't have the money," she said. Ji Seok widened his eyes.

"Then I'll take you," Ji Seok said. Hong Joo wasn't following his train of thought, "Choose a place, and I'll take you there right now. We could go to France, see the Eiffel Tower, maybe Spain and eat tapas. The weather in the Caribbean is excellent all year round; we can go to Puerto Rico and drink mojitos.

What Ji Seok was suggesting was too much for Hong Joo to process. She can't just drop everything and go touristing. Especially with a guy, she doesn't even know.


"I appreciate the offer, but I must decline," Hong Joo said.

"Why?" Ji Seok asked.

Rather than answer, Hong Joo decided to ask a question, "Why are you asking me to travel with you? Someone you don't even know."

Ji Seok widened his eyes, then he looked down, biting his lip "It seems I got ahead of myself," he said, forcing a chuckle. Hong Joo didn't understand what he was getting at.

"All the women I've met have thrown themselves at me, so I've never been much for talking and getting to know someone. You might find this odd, but I would like to…"

"I don't think we should see each other!" Hong Joo cut him off as she looked around seeing people glance at the two of them and one even took out her phone to take a picture, then they all went back to reading their book "I'm just a normal person, and you are part of the Oh family" Hong Joo bowed "Please excuse me" she walked past him but tripped over her feet and fell headfirst to the ground.

"Are you okay?!" Ji Seok helped her up. Hong Joo's face was bright red. Ji Seok smiled "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm not one to think before I do," he said.

He took the book Hong Joo was holding and went to pay for it at the counter.

He was about to leave the bookstore before saying, "For a girl that likes cheesy romance novels, you don't seem to open your heart easily." He left the bookstore with a serious, maybe even saddened expression on his face.

Hong Joo wondered if he just insulted her, but she also felt like she was rude to him first.
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"Did I push someone away again?" she wondered. She then shook her head "No, this person is someone I shouldn't be seen with, let alone get along with. Although I think it better to keep our distance, I also want to get to know him. Ugh. My emotions are contradicting each other."

…

The present

Hong Joo was laying down in the backseat of Ji Seok's car, "I'm hungry," she muttered.

"I'll tell the chef to make you something once we get home," Ji Seok said. Hong Joo tried to get up and look out the window when she saw a ramyeon shop not too far away.

"Ramyeon!" she yelled and opened the backseat door. The good thing was that the car had stopped at a red light; the bad thing was that Hong Joo was getting out.

"Hong Joo! Nooo!" Ji Seok yelled as he got out of his car and ran after her.

He tried to grab her, but she would dodge him with a smile, "Let's play catch!" Hong Joo yelled.

Ji Seok had never been so embarrassed. He could see how the people inside their cars were looking at them weird, and the people walking down the sidewalk would stop and watch. Some were even taking videos.

Those videos would go viral in a matter of minutes, and he'll be in the news headlines tomorrow morning "Father is going to kill me" Ji Seok whimpered.

Ji Seok saw how Hong Joo ran around the cars like a crazy person. Once the light turned green, the cars started to move, ignoring the fact that an incredibly drunk woman was in the middle of the street and they could hit her.

"Hong Joo! Get over here right now!" Ji Seok yelled. If he couldn't reason with her, maybe he could scare her.

"Oh, scary," she said with a mocking smile.

Ji Seok sighed, that didn't work. He rushed towards her, trying to stop the cars "You're going to get run over!" he yelled at her, worried as cars passed her by and honking their horns.

Hong Joo stopped moving for a second, and a car was reaching her that seemed to have no intention of stopping. Ji Seok managed to quickly grab Hong Joo by the wrist and pull her towards him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Caught you," he said. Hong Joo widened her eyes, and for a second, she was stone-cold sober.

"Ji Seok," she said.

"Are you sober enough to tell me where you live?" he asked her, "If not, I'm taking you home with me."

Hong Joo's cheeks flushed red as she told him her address before quickly passing out in his arms.