Summer In Seoul Chapter 1 Part2

ONE Part 2/2

“Oh, Hyong. What took you so long?”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k smiled apologetically to the tall man who opened the door, then stepped into the house he had often come to. “Sorry, the streets are a bit jammed,” he said as he walked into the s.p.a.cious living room. “Hey, Tae-Woo. Have snacks? I've bought a drink.”

Jung Tae-Woo followed Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k there. He ignored his friend's question and asked back, “Hyong, have you heard the gossip?”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k watched his friend throw himself onto the sofa. Jung Tae-Woo's gaze looks glazed and anxious. As Jung Tae-Woo's manager, Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k understands the reason for his concern.

“Where did the gossip come from?” Tae-Woo said, as if asking himself.

Park Hyun s.h.i.+k just smiled a little and handed him a bottle of soju.

Tae-Woo opened the bottle and took a sip of the contents. “I'm said to be a gay.” Tae-Woo laughed bitterly. “What's makes they think like that? What is my att.i.tude like a woman? Or have I been too close to men? Tell me, Hyong. Do you have been thinking like them all this time too?”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k sat in a chair in front of Tae-Woo, taking a sip of soju straight from the bottle. “You know I never thought like that,” he said calmly. “The problem is, tabloids and magazines do like to look for news. You also know they often write articles that don't have a proof. You ask me why they can think you're a gay? Maybe, it's because all this time you have never been seen as close to any woman in public.”

Jung Tae-Woo shrugs his shoulders. “Then, it's up to them to think whatever. If we don't respond, the gossip will certainly subside on its own.”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k shook his head. “In two weeks, your new alb.u.m will be launched. I'm afraid this rumor can affect your alb.u.m sales later. One gossip can cause other gossip. Even old problems can also be raised. Your producer will not be happy. And, what about your fans? What will they think about you? You will lose the market.”

Jung Tae-Woo looked up at the ceiling and exhaled deeply. “Then, what will we do?”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k sipped his drink again and said, “For the problem of gay gossip, I think it's time for you to introduce a woman to the public.”

Tae-Woo looked quickly towards Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k. “What did you say?”

“It's simple. Why don't you start dating?” Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k suggested immediately.

“What?”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k did not look at Jung Tae-Woo and continued in a serious tone, “The important thing is your partner shouldn't an artist. It can be a scandal. Too risky. We also can't immediately make an official announcement to reporters that you are in a relations.h.i.+p with a woman, they must be suspicious and would suspect that it was only a play to dodge the gay gossip.”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k frowned and sank into his thought. Finally he turned and found that Tae-Woo is still waiting for his reflection.

“Okay,” he said with a smile. “Let's just say that you actually have a lover but your girlfriend is not willing to be exposed, so you have to keep your relations.h.i.+p as a secret. That way, no one knows who the woman is and no one has seen her.”

Tae-Woo frowned in confusion. “n.o.body has ever seen and n.o.body knows her. What's the meaning of that? People will not believe in mere words. “

“But we can provide evidence.”

“What evidence?”

“A picture of yourself with that woman.”

“Which woman?”

“The woman who is your lover.”

“Which lover?”

“Everything can be arranged if you really want to.”

“What do you mean?”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k's smile grew wider. “We are looking for a woman who is unknown to anyone and asks her to be your lover for a while. You just have to show it in front of the reporter. Easy, isn't it? “

Tae-Woo pondered for a while, and said, “What if the reporter starts investigating the origin of the woman? After all, where will we looking for a woman that can cooperate and trustworthy to work with? We can't choose carelessly, right?”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k sipped his soju again and looked at Tae-Woo. His friend seemed to consider his proposal with a very worried expression. His brow furrowed, occasionally he would bit his lower lip.

After a while, Tae-Woo sighed and continued, “What kind of woman will we choose? May I choose her by myself? Or we just choose the first woman that walk through the door?” He pointed at the front door of his house with his chin.

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k's laughter exploded. Tae-Woo looked at him with a confused look. “Hyong, what's wrong?”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k pushed Tae-Woo's shoulder lightly. “Gosh, Tae-Woo. I am just kidding. Why are you so serious? “

“What?”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k shook his head. “I'm just joking about that. Never mind, don't think about it. There must be a way out. “

Tae-Woo snorted and chuckled. “Ah, what a headache! I want to go out for a while. Hyong wants to come along?” Tae-Woo said as he laid his head on the back of the sofa and looked at the ceiling of the living room.

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k shrugged his shoulders. “Okay.”

Tae-Woo swung the soju bottle he was holding, then asked, “Oh, Hyong, my cellphone has been repaired yet?”

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k took out the cellphone and handed it to Tae-Woo. Suddenly he remembered the call he received on the way to Tae-Woo's house earlier. The woman who was claiming to be Han Soon-Hee said that their cellphone was switched. Because he himself couldn't take it back, Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k asked the woman to come to Jung Tae-Woo's house. Maybe the request was a bit outrageous because the switch of their cellphones was not the woman's fault, but it was okay. Jung Tae-Woo was furious and didn't like to wait long.

He just wanted to tell Tae-Woo when the doorbell rings.

“Who comes at night like this?” Tae-Woo muttered in surprise.

Sandy really couldn't understand why she was so unlucky today. Maybe when she got home later, she had to hurry up to take a bath with seven colors flowers like her mother had taught her, to flush the bad luck until nothing left. Now she stood at the door of a large white house. The man who was said to be named Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k told her to come here to pick up her switched cellphone. Sandy is annoyed. Why does she have to come, isn't that person who first took the wrong cellphone? She even had to borrow money from the shop owner's aunty to get on the bus, and had to walk to get to this elite residential area.

Sandy exhaled again. Never mind, it's okay. The most important thing now is to get the cellphone back. After this, she will be able to go home quickly. It was getting late and she had yawned four times in the last fifteen minutes.

The door opened and Sandy recognized the face of the man who opened the door. He was the man in the shop. With a difficulty, Sandy forced a polite smile. Her cheeks felt a bit stiff, but she hoped her smile would look normal.

“How are you? I am Han Soon-Hee who called before. I want to give your cellphone back. Here.” Sandy extended her hand that holding the cellphone.

“Oh, thank you very much,” said the man kindly. “I really apologize to make you fell troubled. Please come in. Your cellphone is inside. “

Actually, Sandy knew that she shouldn't go into a man's house that she didn't know, especially at this late hour. But her brain can't function properly and she just wants to quickly solve the problem so she can go home and sleep. Besides, that man looks like a really good person.

Sandy stepped in and let herself be taken to the s.p.a.cious living room with luxurious furniture. On the long couch that dominated the living room, sat a man who was talking on the telephone. His face is handsome, his hairstyle is nice and neat, though Sandy personally doesn't really like the dyed hair which is rather blonde. She felt she had seen him. But where was it?

“Maybe you dialed it wrong,” Sandy heard the man say on her cellphone. “There's no one as Han Soon-Hee or Sandy here.”

Sandy looked at Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k with a questioning look while pointing towards the cellphone the handsome man was holding on the couch.

“Yes, that's your cellphone,” Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k said with a small smile.

The man sitting on the couch was still busy himself, unaware of Sandy's arrival. His forehead seemed contorted with resentment. He said in a rather angry tone. “Sorry, Lee Jeong-Su-ssi, I really don't know you. I also don't know Han Soon-Hee. How can I ask her to answer the phone? You dialed wrong number.”

After saying that, the man closed the cellphone flap loudly. “What a weird person,” he grumbled to himself.

“Hey …” Sandy heard Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k calling the man. “That cellphone belongs to this Miss.”

The man on the couch turned towards Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k, then towards Sandy. When their eyes met, Sandy realized who he was.

Jung Tae-Woo was rather confused at Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k's explanation. His gaze moved from the manager to the girl standing before him, then returned to his manager again. At a glance, he observed the stranger who was now in his living room: a small girl with a pony tail hair style, her hand carrying a large plastic bag and handbag. The look on her face looks dull, tired and pale. The girl was silent while Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k explained what had happened.

“Oh, so this is your cellphone?” Tae-Woo asked as he got up from the couch. He handed her the cellphone he was holding. “That … earlier — what's his name, sorry, I forgot — called for Han Soon-Hee or Sandy. Are you Han Soon-Hee or Sandy? “

The girl smiled faintly and replied, “Both my names.”

Suddenly the cellphone rang and made Tae-Woo startled. “Please answer,” he said quickly.

Han Soon-Hee accepted the cellphone and immediately opened the flap. “h.e.l.lo?”

Then Tae-Woo and Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k were stunned to hear the girl speak in a foreign language. Tae-Woo believes the conversation is not in English or j.a.panese because he mastered both languages. Regardless of what language the girl is using, the point is she speaks fluently. Tae-Woo turned towards his manager to ask and in response Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k shook his head.

The conversation did not last long. After hanging up, the girl looked at Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k and Tae-Woo alternately with anxiousness. Smiling stiffly, she said, “Um, thank you very much. I am going home first.”

“Wait,” Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k interrupted. The girl looked at him expressionlessly. “If I can know, what language was that before?”

“Indonesian,” the girl answered immediately.

“Oh, I see.” Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k smiled and nodded because it seemed the girl didn't want to explain further. “You can speak Indonesian apparently.”

“Excuse me,” said the girl again while going to the door.

“Wait a minute,” Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k interrupted the girl again. He glanced at Tae-Woo, then looked back at the girl. “You don't come by car, do you? I saw there was no car outside. How about this, incidentally we also want to get out. What if we take you? I feel bad because you have to take the cellphone here. “

The girl smiled stiffly and shook her hand. “No need. I can take the bus.”

“We can take you to the bus stop,” said Tae-Woo. He wasn't sure the girl could go home alone because when viewed from her current situation, the girl seemed can faint at any time. “Think of it as a thank you as well as an apology from us.”

The girl looked at them both alternately with her big eyes. The look on her face seemed uncertain. It seems like her brain is spinning, looking for a way to reject the offer. Tae-Woo can understand it. A girl that accepts an offer to be escorted by two unknown men immediately was definitely an odd girl.

“Don't worry. We will not do anything. Believe me,” Tae-Woo said, smiling broadly, even though he knew for certain that the sentence didn't sound too convincing.

“Oh no. I didn't mean that,” said the girl, shaking her hands again.

“Come on, let us take you to the bus stop,” interrupted Tae-Woo as he grabbed the manager's car key at the table. He turned to Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k. “Hyong, just use your car, ok?”

Along the way the girl became more silent. When invited to talk, she only answers as needed. Tae-Woo glanced at his manager who was driving and glanced into the rear view mirror to steal a glance at the back seat. The girl sat back and looked out the window blankly. Tae-Woo wanted to know what makes the girl looks so tired.

Suddenly the girl opened her mouth, “I just go down here.”

Jung Tae-Woo turned his body slightly so he could see the girl. “Here? Are you sure? We can take you to your home immediately.”

“Right, we don't mind,” Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k added.

The girl gave a smile that seemed forced. “No need. Just stop here. “

Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k stopped his car on the side of the road, near the bus stop.

“Thank you,” said the girl while getting out of the car. “Good night.”

When the girl bowed to greet the two of them, Park Hyun-s.h.i.+k lowered the winds.h.i.+eld and asked, “Miss Han Soon-Hee, I have something to ask. Do you know this friend of mine?”

Tae-Woo realized his manager was pointing at him.

Han Soon-Hee blinked her eyes once, then nodded. “This guy? Jung Tae-Woo, right? Jung Tae-Woo who is a singer?” Then as if she had just realized something, she looked at Tae-Woo and said,” Your songs … your songs … are great. “