Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Silently, one by one, 

In the infinite meadows of heaven,

Blossomed the lovely stars,

The forget-me-nots of the angels.”

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~

Chapter Text

It was a beautiful spring day when Jang Hong Do stepped out of the subway station.  Dressed in a dark blue suit that was half a size too large and a grey zipper tie, he stood at the exit straightening his tie, oblivious to the throng of exiting passengers darting dirty looks in his direction as they rushed past him.  Next to him, his twin sister Yun Bok was staring at the map on her phone.

“I think it’s that way,” she said, pointing to her left.  

After buttoning up their coats, they made their way down the street, walking under rows of cherry blossom trees that were in full bloom.  Hong Do smiled when he saw their pink petals falling on the heads of the pedestrians walking beneath them.  Then, reaching into his pocket, he took his phone out and stood in the middle of the walkway to take a photo of the flowers.

“Yah, we don’t have time for this,” Yun Bok called out. Hearing the urgency in her voice, Hong Do returned his phone to his pocket and walked quickly to catch up with his twin sister.  As they walked past rows of small restaurants, cafes and food trucks, Hong Do made a mental note of the places he could grab a quick breakfast if he ever woke up late and missed breakfast at home. 

After a short walk, Hong Do knew that they had arrived in the heart of the central business of Seoul when he sensed a marked change in tempo in his surroundings.  Greeted by roads jam-packed with honking cars, towering buildings, jumbo outdoor screens televising news and stock market movements, office workers dressed in business suits striding hurriedly down the wide pedestrian walkways while staring at their phones, Hong Do could not help but feel excited and proud that he was a part of the working world.  After so many years of studying, it was finally time to put all that he had learnt to good use.  Just then a pudgy middle-aged man wearing a bright orange polyester polo shirt shoved a leaflet advertising mobile phone plans at him.  Hong Do smiled, accepted the leaflet, and bid the man a good morning before hurrying after Yun Bok.

Soon after, the twins arrived at the entrance of a high rise office complex.  Pushing open the glass door for his sister, Hong Do stepped into a bright spacious lobby with large colourful murals on the white wall behind the security counter.  To his left was an open concept cafe that was now bathed in the sunlight streaming in through the floor to ceiling glass walls.  The cafe was doing a roaring business; there were long lines of customers and the many tables were occupied by people in business suits having discussions or working on their laptops.  A glass door next to the cafe opened up to a central courtyard enclosed within the three intertwining office blocks.  Hong Do loved the look of the courtyard, with its tall trees, flowering plants and white metal benches, it was an oasis in the midst of the glass and concrete jungle.  

They approached the security counter and Yun Bok told the officer that they were interns reporting for their first day of work at the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs.  

“Do you have the name of the officer you are supposed to be meeting?” the stern-looking lady in a dark blue uniform asked.

“Yes,” Yun Bok said, pulling out her phone to show the security officer the email that she had received.  “We are supposed to meet Heo Seon Bin-sshi.”

“Ok, we will give her a call and she’ll come down to meet you.  Please wait near the lift lobby. ”

Thanking the security officer, they walked over to the lift lobby and watched the civil servants working in the building tap their staff passes on the gantries to enter the lobby.  Soon, one of the six lifts opened and a young lady with short wavy hair walked out.  She tapped her pass at the gantry and walked towards the twins with a smile.  

“Hello!” she said.  “You must be Yun Bok and Hong Do.  I’m Seon Bin, Assistant Director in the Minister’s Office.”

The twins greeted her with a polite bow and she handed them their staff passes which they hung around their necks.  Since it was their first day, Seon Bin suggested bringing them on a tour of the building which the twins readily agreed.  

Their first stop was the staff cafeteria on the second floor.  Upon exiting the lift, Hong Do followed Seon Bin down a wide corridor before arriving in front of a large glass sliding door which opened when they approached.  

They entered a large cafeteria with stalls selling different cuisines - Western, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, and of course, Korean.  There was a dessert stall too, selling an array of sweets like waffles, cakes, ice-cream, bingsu, and hotteok.  Seon Bin told them that they could pay for their food and drinks with their staff pass, and the cost of the meals would be deducted from their salaries every month.  When Seon Bin was answering Yun Bok’s question about the opening hours of the cafeteria, Hong Do took the opportunity to look around the cafeteria, observing the breakfast crowd seated at the long rows of tables in the centre of the bright airy hall.  He also noted the booth seats and round tables next to the floor to ceiling windows, perfect for small group meals.     

As they were leaving, Hong Do saw a notice board on the wall next to the glass sliding door.  Slowing his steps, he took a glance at the notices on display.  There was a large poster displaying the names and smiling faces of the members of the Cafeteria Committee; a smaller poster reminding staff to return their trays to the collection stations after finishing their meals; an announcement about the shut down of three of the lifts over the weekend for maintenance; a flyer about an upcoming fun-fair in the central courtyard; advertisements for yoga and boxing classes held in the neighbouring buildings; coupons for dry-cleaning services; vouchers for newly-opened restaurants; a sign-up sheet for a scrapbooking course at a popular stationery shop; the results of an inter-Ministry golf tournament; an upcoming photography competition; a zumba group was looking for members in order to start a new class; and a hiking group was organizing a trip to Seoraksan. 

After leaving the cafeteria, the three of them walked a short distance down the corridor before arriving at the staff gym.  Seon Bin pushed open the glass door and introduced them to the two muscular men behind the counter.  The twins exchanged polite greetings with the men and one of them took them on a quick tour.  Hong Do noted that the gym was well-equipped, with a weights section, exercise machines, and treadmills and stationary bikes that looked out into the main street.  The man told them the peak hours on weekdays (before and after office hours, and during lunch time) and that they were open on Saturday mornings too. 

Bidding farewell to the men, Seon Bin led the twins down the corridor and they soon arrived at a spacious area which overlooked the courtyard and behind them were four large wooden doors.  “What is this?” Hong Do asked Seon Bin.  “Our auditoriums, we have two of them,” she replied.  “Want to take a peek?”  

Seon Bin walked to the door nearest to them and opened it gently before popping her head in.  “Come on in,” she said, after ascertaining that it was empty.  The twins walked in as Seon Bin was looking around for the switches.  When the lights came on, Hong Do saw a large auditorium with red cushioned seats and black armrests. 

“This is the larger auditorium, it takes up to eight hundred people.” Seon Bin said.  “The smaller one next door takes about five hundred.  They are usually used for our townhall sessions or when our bosses or the Ministers need to address the entire Ministry.” 

Next to the auditoriums was a library which featured a mix of concrete, metal and glass, giving it a modern feel.  The twins followed Seon Bin around the cozy space, running their eyes across the non-fiction books and periodicals on the light wood shelves, looking at the rows of study tables, each with a green banker’s lamp, and noting the colourful fabric armchairs tucked away in quiet corners.  

When they walked out of the library, Seon Bin brought them to the glass facade overlooking the courtyard and pointed out they had strayed far from their office block.  “The three blocks have their own lobbies and every officer has access only to the floors in his block,” she explained.  “The second floor is the only floor that can be accessed by staff working in all three blocks because of the shared facilities.”

As they traversed back to their office block, Seon Bin told them about the garden at the top of their block where they sometimes held after-work drinks and barbecues.  When they arrived at their office block, Yun Bok pressed the button to call the lift and when it came, Seon Bin pressed the button for level 20 before giving them a quick introduction to the Ministries housed in the building:

Levels 3 to 5 was the Ministry of Domestic industry; 

Levels 6 to 10 was the Ministry of Labour; 

Levels 11 and 12 was the Ministry of Culture; 

Levels 13 to 15 was the Ministry of Finance.  

“And our Ministry takes up levels 16 to 20,” Seon Bin said.

“What about the other two office blocks?” Hong Do asked.  

“They house the other Ministries, like the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Interior,” Seon Bin replied.  

Just then, the electronic elevator voice announced their arrival on the 20th floor.  They walked out of the lift and as they stood in the middle of the lift lobby, Seon Bin pointed out the two sets of doors, one on their left and one on their right.  

“The glass doors on the right lead to the conference rooms and the dark wood doors on the left lead to our offices, although, actually, everything is connected inside.  Come, I’ll show you,” she said, tapping her staff pass on the electronic access panel next to the pair of wooden doors and a soft click sounded.  

“Welcome to the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs!” Seon Bin announced with a smile as she pushed the door open.  

The first thing that caught Yun Bok’s attention was how closely the office resembled the offices featured in television dramas. There were at least seven different sections in the huge office space and each section was made up of two long rows of waist-high cubicles facing each other.  There was a slightly larger cubicle at the head of each section, which Yun Bok presumed belonged to a supervisor.  The people seated at the cubicles looked terribly busy - typing on their laptops, talking to each other across the cubicle walls, flipping through piles of papers, and making calls on their phones.  No one seemed to have noticed their arrival. 

As Seon Bin was telling them about the different departments in the Ministry (which Yun Bok learnt was based on geographical regions) and where each department was seated, Yun Bok took a closer look at the clean, practical, fuss-free office.  With a white, pale timber and muted grey colour scheme, it had a simple, soothing, yet professional, feel.  It also reminded her of a famous Japanese store that sold furniture, household items, clothes and foodstuffs.  

The second thing that caught Yun Bok’s attention was the fact that the rooms did not have walls.   

“Erm… why do those rooms have glass walls instead of proper walls?” Yun Bok asked.

“Those are the directors’ offices,” Seon Bin replied as she led them over to the row of individual offices which had commanding views of the business district.  “As you can see, apart from the walls separating each room and the wooden doors, everything else is made of glass.  We always joke about how it is designed this way so that the directors can look out of their offices to spot officers falling asleep in their cubicles.”

“Doesn’t this mean that the directors have no privacy either?  Cos we can look into their rooms too,” Hong Do said.

“Oh, the glass walls are actually made of opaque smart glass,” Seon Bin said, knocking gently the glass wall of a corner office.  “It turns opaque immediately when the director clicks on a button on the side of his table or taps on an app in his phone.  And it’s soundproof too.”

“This is Lee Ik Jun- sshi’s office?” Yun Bok asked, looking at the door plate of the corner office.  “I read in the papers a couple of weeks ago that he had been appointed to lead the negotiations for the next round of free trade agreements.”

“Yes, that’s him, our Chief Negotiator.  We usually call him Chief.  Please excuse the mess, by the way,” Seon Bin said with a grin, waving at the piles of files, papers, and boxes lying everywhere - on the work desk, the chairs, the round meeting table for four, and all over the floor.  “He has just moved into this room and is in the midst of putting his things away.”

“He plays golf?” Yun Bok asked, spotting two golf clubs leaning against the dark wood floor to ceiling bookshelf.

“Yes, he does.  He claims he’s very good too,” Seon Bin replied with a chuckle.  Then, leading them to a cubicle directly in front of the office, she introduced the twins to a friendly-looking lady named Kim Jae Hwan, Ik Jun’s personal assistant.  “Or PA, as we usually address them.  We use a lot of acronyms around here,” Seon Bin said. 

“Where do those two doors go?” Hong Do asked, noticing a wooden door next to Ik Jun’s office and an opaque glass door on the adjacent wall a few steps away.

Opening the wooden door, Seon Bin said, “This is the internal staircase.  You can use this to access the other floors of our Ministry and the rooftop garden.” Then walking over to the opaque glass door which had an electronic access panel next to it, Seon Bin said, “This door leads to our conference rooms.  I’ll show you later.”

Walking past Ik Jun’s office, Seon Bin introduced the twins to the occupants of the other offices.  These offices were smaller, Yun Bok noticed.  Like Ik Jun’s office, they had floor to ceiling bookshelves on the two non-glass walls.  However, they didn’t have the round meeting table in Ik Jun’s office. 

Seon Bin told them that the office next to Ik Jun belongs to Kim Jun Wan, Director (Strategic Communications and Technology).  Next to Jun Wan was Yang Seok Hyeong, Director (Europe), and next to Seok Hyeong was Ahn Jeong Won, Director (Americas).  Next to Jeong Won was Director (Asia Pacific), Bong Kwang Hyeon, and next to him was Yoo Han Yang, Director (Central Asia).  Next to Han Yang’s office was an empty corner office that was about the size of Ik Jun’s office, except that instead of a round meeting table, it had a two seater light grey couch that was slightly longer than the coffee table in front of it.  There was another single dark yellow couch at the head of the coffee table.

The empty corner office was the last of the fishbowl offices.  As they walked down a corridor, passing some indoor plants and inspiration posters, the three of them arrived at two tall heavy-looking dark wood doors.  Seon Bin told the twins that behind the doors was the Minister's office, which had its own lift lobby and security counter.  A short distance away from the Minister’s office was another set of opaque glass doors.  “This is the office of the Secretary-General or SG as we call him,” Seon Bin said.  “He’s the most senior civil servant in our Ministry.”

“Isn’t the Minister the most senior?” Yun Bok asked.

“Nope,” Seon Bin replied. “The Minister is a political appointment, so he’s not technically a civil servant.”  

“So is our biggest boss the Minister or the SG?” Hong Do asked.

“Well, the Minister gives directions to the SG who will carry them out, but when it comes to staff confirmations and promotions, it will be the SG who decides. Of course with feedback from the Minister,” Seon Bin said. 

A few steps away, on the wall adjacent to SG’s office, was another opaque glass door, similar to the one they had seen near Ik Jun’s office.  “This door leads to the conference rooms,” Seon Bin said as she tapped her pass on the electronic access panel.  “Come, I’ll show you.”

As the twins walked with Seon Bin, she explained that there were four conference rooms of varying sizes on this floor and they were all named after flowers.  Like the directors’ offices, these rooms also had opaque smart glass walls.  The conference room nearest SG’s office was a small one meant for eight persons, named Hachargi or Sunflower.  Next to it was a much larger room named Beotkkot or Cherry Blossom, which could fit twenty-four.  Yun Bok noticed that it was currently occupied. 

Next to Beotkkot was a set of dark wood doors that resembled the doors of the Minister's office.  Seon Bin told the twins that this was the State Room, a room used exclusively by the Minister to receive important foreign guests.  

When asked by Hong Do if they could take a look, Seon Bin nodded before pushing the heavy doors open.  The lights came on and Yun Bok was struck by how grand the room was.  On the wall directly opposite the entrance was the national emblem, hung between two standing national flags. Lining the two other walls were dark oak cabinets which displayed plaques, awards, porcelain items, and other gifts received from foreign visitors.   

“I have never stepped on such a plush carpet before,” Yun Bok said in surprise when she stepped on the soft thick white carpet.  “It’s like I’m walking on clouds.” 

“We all feel that way when we walk into this room,” Seon Bin said with a laugh.  “But it’s really difficult to maintain, so I don’t suggest getting it for your own home.”

“There are no conference tables in this room?” Hong Do asked, looking around at the elegant cream leather armchairs and sofas.

“No, because the room is used only to meet and greet visitors.  So we only have the small tables next to the armchairs and sofas to put drinks,” Seon Bin explained.  “We don’t get to sit on these armchairs and sofas, by the way.  If we are taking notes for a meeting, we will sit on one of those chairs,” she said, pointing to four cream armless chairs neatly placed behind the leather seats. 

Next to the State Room was the largest conference room named Mugunghwa or Hibiscus.  It had a long and large U-shaped conference table that could seat thirty-six.  And next to it was the smallest six-person room called Jangmi or Rose.  

Seon Bin led the twins to the opaque glass door next to Jangmi and tapped her pass on the electronic access panel.  The door unlocked and when Yun Bok walked through it, she realised that they were back in front of Ik Jun’s office.

“Oh, that’s why you said it’s all connected!” she said with a grin, looking at Seon Bin.

“That’s right,’ Seon Bin said.  “The doors next to SG and Chief’s offices lead to the conference rooms.  Or you can also walk across the lift lobby.”  Then, looking at her watch, she continued, “Shall we go to the pantry? I need to brief you on some administrative matters.”

The pantry was a bright cheery room next to the entrance of the office.  There were three vending machines next to the refrigerator - one for canned drinks, one for hot drinks, and the last one for ready-to-eat meals.  There were two rectangular light timber tables with matching chairs in the middle of the room, a white long bar table with four black bar stools at the far end, and a number of large colourful bean bags scattered around the room.  On the counter next to the sink was a microwave machine, a coffee machine, and a box filled with coffee capsules.  There were also tins of different flavoured teas, cookies, and chocolate.  Seon Bin opened the cabinets to show the twins the boxes of cup noodles and muesli bars.  She also showed them where the cups, plates and other cutlery were kept.  

After grabbing a drink from the vending machines, they sat at one of the tables and Seon Bin gave them a quick run through of housekeeping matters like official working hours and lunch hours, dress code, and vacation and medical leave policy.  Then she informed Yun Bok that she would be joining the Europe department and Hong Do would be joining the Asia Pacific department.

“What are the departments on the other floors?” Yun Bok asked.

“The office of the Deputy SG is on the 19th floor.  The deputy directors and the officers in the various Foreign Affairs departments are there too,” Seon Bin replied.  “The 18th floor houses the officers from the Trade departments and the 17th floor is a mix of both Foreign Affairs and Trade.  The 16th floor is where our corporate offices are - HR, Finance, Admin, and IT.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get a chance to visit the other floors and meet everyone,” Seon Bin said with a grin.  “Oh and by the way, sorry I couldn’t introduce you to any of the directors.  We have a new Minister joining us in a month’s time and they are all in a meeting with SG to discuss the things that need to be prepared for her arrival.  I’ll introduce you to them later today.” 

Then Seon Bin took a look at her watch and said,  “Shall we have lunch together later?  A couple of us would like to buy you lunch to welcome you to the Ministry.”

“Sure!” the twins replied. 

“Great!” Seon Bin said with a smile, standing up from her seat.  “Let me show you to your cubicles.”

Chapter Text

Back in Beotkkot, Secretary-General Ju Jeon was updating his staff on the phone call he had with the new Minister.  

A doctor by training, SG Ju had spent his life building a career in the civil service after graduating from Korea’s top university.  He was sent to the Ministry of Health after finishing his residency to develop a medical research sector so as to improve the medical treatments and facilities available to the Korean public.  After a most successful stint in the Health Ministry, he was posted to the Ministry of Transport where he oversaw the development of the country’s metropolitan railway system that stretched beyond the Seoul Metropolitan Area to the rural regions in the northern and western parts of South Korea.  Six years later, he was posted to the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs as the Deputy Secretary-General before being promoted to the top job three years later when the then Secretary-General retired.  

Having been in the Ministry for about a decade, SG Ju had reached a comfortable point in his career.  He was familiar with the issues and policies that the Ministry was in charge of, he had a good working relationship with his staff (well, most of them anyway) and he had the chance to travel ever so often.  But most importantly, SG Ju had the ear of the Minister.  In his mind, this was the most important, as it enabled him and the Ministry to function swiftly and effectively, thereby gaining the trust and respect of the President, the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet. 

When the Prime Minister informed him of the upcoming Cabinet changes six months ago, SG Ju took the news in his stride.  He had seen his fair share of ministerial movements after so many years in the civil service that they no longer fazed him.  And although he had never worked with the new Minister, he had heard positive things about her from his friends in the Ministry of Defence where she was currently the Minister. 

“I had a chat with the new Minister last week and gave her a rundown of the projects that we are working on right now,” SG said.  “Minister has some ideas and said that she’ll speak to all of us when she officially joins us in a month’s time.”

Glancing over at his Director of Administration, Lee Ji Hoon, who was seated at the far end of the long conference table, SG said, “Ji Hoon, can you be in charge of scheduling the briefings that every department will have to give Minister?  Each briefing should be no longer than an hour as Minister would like to have more time for discussions.  Also, Minister said that she wants no more than three briefings a day so that she’ll have time to clear her emails and papers.  Work out a schedule with the Directors and send me the draft by the end of tomorrow.”

“Yes, SG,” Ji Hoon said, taking down the instructions in his notepad.  

“Also, I told Minister we will work out a travel schedule for her to introduce her to our friends and trading partners,” SG said.  He looked over at his Chief Negotiator who was, at that moment, finishing his first cup of coffee and unwrapping his breakfast sandwich and SG Ju said, “Ik Jun, you will need to accompany Minister on some of these trips.  You are more familiar with the officials there since you have been working with them for a while.”

“Sure,” Ik Jun said, taking a bite of his sandwich.  “As long as they don’t clash with my negotiations.”

“I’ll leave you and Ji Hoon to work out the details,” SG said.  “Although I don’t envisage you going on all her trips, just the major partners - Washington, London, and maybe Canberra?  And of course, South East Asia - Singapore, KL, Manila, Jakarta, Hanoi.  For the other countries, Seok Hyeong, Jeong Won, Bong and Han Yang can accompany her.”

“Will Minister’s new Special Assistant be joining her on these trips?” Ji Hoon asked.

“Ah yes, the SA,” SG said.  “I haven’t spoken to Minister about her, but for now, let’s assume that she will be.”

“Has she confirmed when she’ll be joining us?” Seok Hyeong asked.

“A month’s time, likely the same week as Minister.  There was some delay on her end cos she is moving back from the US,” SG replied.  “I managed to have a quick chat with her last Friday night.  She asked that we provide her with the key documents that she needed to read, and also a series of briefings about the Ministry and our projects.  Ji Hoon, can you take charge of this too.  Get the documents from the Directors and send me the briefing schedule once it’s ready.”

“One more thing,” SG said, ticking off the items on the list in front of him.  “Ik Jun, she’ll be sharing your PA until she hires her own.”

Ik Jun was about to take another bite of his sandwich when he heard SG’s words.  His face darkened as he turned slowly to look at his boss.  “What?” he said.  “My PA?”

“Only till she gets her own,” SG said.  “I think it’s only fair to let her do the hiring herself.”

“Why does she have to take mine when there are so many other PAs around?” Ik Jun asked.  “Since her office is next to Han Yang’s, wouldn’t it make more sense for her to share his?” 

“Yah,” Han Yang said, looking at Ik Jun.  “You know as well as I do that my PA spends most of her time either fixing her make up or chatting on the phone about some kpop idol group.” 

“What about Bong’s then?” Ik Jun asked, waving his half-eaten sandwich in Bong’s direction.  

“I’m more than happy to share mine,” Bong said, twirling a silver fountain pen in his hand.  “Although I should let you know that last Wednesday when I asked her to photocopy some documents for my meeting with the Finance Ministry, she only photocopied half of them because she didn’t realize they were printed on both sides.”

“No, no, no,” Deputy SG Shin Sung Eul spoke up, shaking his head.  “Your PA is too muddle-headed.  Plus she spends too much time in the mailroom flirting with the boys.” 

“Ik Jun ah, you are out of the country most of the time anyway.  It wouldn’t affect you too much,” SG said.  “She’s Minister’s SA, I need to give her the best PA we have.  And once again, it’s only till she hires her own. It shouldn’t take longer than a month or two.” 

“Who is this SA anyway?” Ik Jun asked, glowering in his seat, his breakfast forgotten.  “First I have to give up my office for her, and now she gets my PA?”

“Yah, yah, yah,” SG said, taking the lid off his porcelain tea cup and taking a sip.  “How many times have I told you, she needs your former office because it’s nearest to Minister’s office.  I cannot have her running from the other end of the office every time Minister looks for her.”

Recognising the tone in SG’s voice, Ik Jun knew the former’s mind had been made up and he should not harp on the issue any longer.  Annoyed, Ik Jun opened the plastic lid of his iced vanilla latte and took a long gulp.  

“The SA comes highly recommended by the Prime Minister himself,” SG continued, looking at his staff.  “I expect all of you to give her your full cooperation when she arrives.  Do I make myself clear?  I don’t want to hear any complaints from the PM.”

“Actually, SG, do you have the name of the new SA?” Jeong Won asked.  “We don’t know her name.”

“I haven’t told you?” SG asked, looking surprised.  “Her name is Song Hwa.”

“Chae Song Hwa.”

——————————————-

It was past one when the meeting ended with SG reminding the Directors about the interns who would be joining the Ministry in the coming weeks.  He urged the Directors to give the interns a wide range of work and to bring them along to inter-Ministry meetings whenever possible, so that the interns would experience what it was like to be a career civil servant.

“Somebody’s grouchy today,” Jun Wan said, trying to balance his tray of food as he took the seat opposite Ik Jun in the staff cafeteria. 

“He’s always grouchy the day after he returns from a trip,” Seok Hyeong said, setting down his tray before sitting next to Jun Wan.  “You know it’s an especially bad day when he gets two coffees in the morning.”

“Yah, you’d be grouchy too if you are as jetlagged as I am,” Ik Jun said, stirring his bowl of kimchi jjigae.  “I barely slept three hours.”

“Why?” Jeong Won asked, glancing at Ik Jun as he mixed his jjajangmyeon.  “Weren’t you supposed to be back by 10 yesterday night?”

“Flight got delayed in Amsterdam.  Missed my connecting in London and had to take one three hours later.  I only landed at Incheon at one in the morning.” Ik Jun said, rubbing his eyes.  “Yah, where is Bong?” he asked, looking around the cafeteria.  

“He stopped by Seon Bin’s table to say ‘hi’.  Apparently two interns joined us today,” Jun Wan said, tucking into his food.  Then looking up at Ik Jun, he asked, “By the way, when is your next trip?”

“Two weeks’ time,” Ik Jun replied, starting on his jjigae.  “Why?”

“We are doing a tech refresh,” Jun Wan said.  “We need to change your laptop.”

“Again?” Ik Jun said with a mouth full of rice.  “I just changed it!”

“That was three years ago.” 

“I hate it whenever we change our laptops,” Ik Jun said, shaking his head  “Can’t I keep mine?  It still works!” 

“Nope, your operating system is already outdated,” Jun Wan said, slurping his jjampong.  “I don’t want to have you calling me again from some far flung land just to sort out your laptop woes.”

“I think he calls you more than Minister does,” Seok Hyeong said.  

“I do not!” 

“He does, and it’s usually in the middle of the night,”  Jun Wan said.  “He forgets that I’m only in charge of Minister’s computers, not his.”

A few tables away, Yun Bok and Hong Do were having lunch with Seon Bin, and two other colleagues - Yong Seok Min who, like Seon Bin, was an Assistant Director in the Minister’s Office, and Do Jae Hak, an Assistant Director in the Strategic Communications and Technology Department.

“Director Bong seems nice,” Hong Do said, as Bong walked away to join his fellow directors. 

“He is,” Seon Bin said, cutting her corned beef sandwich.  Then she looked at Hong Do with a smile and said, “He’s a great boss and you’ll learn a lot working for him.”

“Who are the other people at Director Bong’s table?” Hong Do asked, watching Bong place his tray down next to a group of men in dark suits.  “Are they from our Ministry too?”

“The man next to Director Bong is Director Ahn of the Americas,” Seok Min said, pouring his bowl of rice into his samgyetang.  “Opposite him is Director Yang of Europe, and next to him is Director Kim, Jae Hak’s boss.  And opposite Director Kim is our Chief Negotiator, Lee Ik Jun.” 

“So my boss is Director Yang,” Yun Bok said.  “Is he nice?”

“The sweetest man ever, soft spoken and respectful.  And he remains calm even in the most stressful moments,” Jae Hak said, eating his bibimbap.  “Our staff all love him.”

“That’s a relief,” Yun Bok said with a grin.  “So what are the other directors like?”

“Director Ahn is nice,” Seok Min said, tearing up his chicken with his chopsticks.  “Soft spoken too, and gentlemanly.  Jae Hak’s boss, on the other hand, can be stern and grumpy, but Jae Hak manages him very well.”

“I’ve learnt a few things after working with him for so long,” Jae Hak said, giving the twins a wink.  

“What about Chief Lee?”

“He’s ok, but he can get a little, shall we say, testy at times,” Seok Min said.  “Especially when he has just returned from a trip and is jetlagged or if there is a big negotiation going on.”

“But don’t worry, the people in our Ministry are generally friendly and get along with each other,” Seon Bin said with a smile.  “You’ll be fine!” 

Back at the directors’ table, Bong was telling the rest what he had found out about the Minister’s new SA.  According to his friends in the Prime Minister’s Office, Chae Song Hwa’s father was a retired ambassador and because of this, she had lived abroad for a large part of her life.  The Prime Minister was said to have met her in some international forum and was so impressed by her that he personally invited her to join his administration.

“This probably explains why SG is giving her my office and my PA,” Ik Jun said, rolling his eyes.  “Although I wonder if this story is actually true,” he added, looking at Bong.  “Seeing that her father was an ambassador, she could be one of those princelings who is unable to get a job anywhere and her father had a word with PM to give her one.”

“I very much doubt that,” Bong said, eating his jjajangmyeon.   “Word on the ground is that she was very reluctant to give up her career in the US to return home.  But eventually relented because it was PM who made the request.”

“Do your friends know where she studied or worked?” Seok Hyeong asked.

“No, unfortunately,” Bong said.  “But I’ve told them to let me know if they hear anything.”

“I wonder what she is like,” Jun Wan said, sipping his cola.  “She must be quite formidable to be appointed Minister’s SA the moment she joins the civil service.”

“Any idea how old she is?” Jeong Won asked, placing down his chopsticks and reaching for the napkin container.

“No idea,” Bong said, eating another mouthful of noodles.  “But I suspect she should be around our age?  Since she had a career in the US.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Ik Jun said, sitting up in his seat.  “Can we stop talking about this Chae Song Hwa person? Just hearing her name annoys me.”  Then looking at Bong, he said, “We should instead talk about the most exciting thing at the meeting today - the new fountain pen that Bong was twirling around!”

“You noticed!” Bong said with a laugh.

“Of course!” Ik Jun said, gesturing to Bong to show him the shiny silver pen.  “Limited edition, Platinum’s 100th Anniversary, The Prime fountain pen.  This must have cost you quite a fortune.”

Handing the pen over to Ik Jun, Bong said, “It was a present from my wife for my birthday.” 

“Yah, be careful with it,” he added as he watched Ik Jun remove the cap.  “It’s only three days’ old.”

“This is gorgeous,” Ik Jun said, drawing squiggling lines on a piece of receipt.  “You’re lucky to have found someone who supports your very expensive hobby.” 

“You can find one too,” Jeong Won said, pulling out a packet of wet wipes from his pocket.  “Whatever happened to the director at the Ministry of Culture who was interested in you?”

Ik Jun looked up from his writing exercise, his brows furrowed.  “Ministry of Culture?” 

“What?” Jun Wan gasped, staring at Jeong Won.  “Who?”

“Soo Ae or something?” Seok Hyeong said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.  “Are you still in touch with her?”

“You knew too?” Jun Wan said, turning to look at Seok Hyeong.  “Why do I not know this!”

“Oh, Soo Yun.  The ex-ballerina,” Ik Jun said, returning the pen to Bong. “Yes, of course.  She contacted me a few weeks ago to go to some dance performance.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about her?” Jun Wan asked.

“Why would I?” Ik Jun said, taking a sip of his coffee. “She’s just an acquaintance.”

“So did you go?” Seok Hyeong asked. 

“To the performance? No,” Ik Jun said.  “But you are wrong, she’s not interested in me.  She’s nice to me cos her brother and I were in the army together.”

“Are you sure?” Jeong Won asked, looking unconvinced.  “Seeing that she has been asking you out, I thought there must be something going on.  At least on her part.”

“I assure you nothing is going on,” Ik Jun said, with a loud yawn.  “I’m sure I’m astute enough to know if there is.”

——————————————-

On the other side of the world, Chae Song Hwa was walking out of the Executive Lounge in the John F. Kennedy International Airport with her red and white striped backpack.  Dressed in a white polo shirt, denim jeans and a pair of grey canvas sneakers, she had a blue hoodie in her hands as she walked briskly in the direction of her boarding gate, barely casting a glance at the brightly lit duty-free shops. 

She arrived at her gate just in time to hear the announcement that boarding had commenced for priority passengers.  After breezing through security, she flashed a smile at the airport staff who checked her boarding pass and passport and soon, she was in the Business class cabin looking for her seat.

“Can I help you, madam?” asked the young steward who appeared next to her.  

With a smile, Song Hwa showed the steward her boarding pass and on the way to her seat, they made small talk about the weather in New York and he told her about a musical he had watched the night before.  After placing her backpack in the overhead compartment and helping her settle in her seat, the steward asked Song Hwa if she was going to Seoul for a vacation since she was on her spring break.

“Spring break?” Song Hwa said with a delighted chuckle at the compliment.  “I graduated from college a long time ago!”

Surprised and slightly embarrassed, the young steward quickly changed the topic by offering to bring her a glass of champagne, which Song Hwa accepted with a grin. 

As she sat in her seat with her champagne and a bowl of warm mixed nuts, looking out of the window to watch the ground staff go about their work, Song Hwa could not help but feel apprehensive about this next season of her life.   

She had returned home one day soon after starting high school and was told that she would be moving to London.  Her father had just been made ambassador to the UK, her mother said, and they were going to London with him.  Oppa too? Song Hwa asked.   Just us, her mother replied, explaining to her that her two oldest brothers had to remain in Korea since they were serving in the army.  Her third brother was in his final year in high school and the plan was for him to complete his military service before continuing with his college education, whether in Korea or overseas.  

Song Hwa had kicked up a fuss then, begging her parents to let her stay in Korea with her third brother (who was to stay at their favourite aunt’s place).  She didn’t want to leave her friends behind and really didn’t want to live in an unfamiliar place with strangers speaking an unfamiliar language.  Unfortunately, her cries fell to deaf ears as her father was adamant about bringing her along. 

And so, off to London she went.  And later, to Paris and the US.  

Life was rough initially, Song Hwa didn’t know anyone and didn’t speak the language.  She tried to hang out with a few Korean students in her international school.  However, they had their own cliques and everyone spoke English, so it was difficult for Song Hwa to fit in.  Thankfully, things began to look up after a few months.  Song Hwa got to know her neighbours, classmates, and London a little better.  Her language ability had also improved by then and this helped her to find her own community in school - a club that spent weekends and holidays hiking and camping in the national parks around the UK.  

Just when Song Hwa was falling in love with London, she was told one night after an evening out with friends that her father was to be appointed ambassador to France and they were moving to Paris.  Song Hwa took the news in her stride as the worries that she had three years ago no longer fazed her.  She was now older and more mature and thanks to her school, she had picked up two other European languages, had friends living all over the world and well, it’s Paris!  Which young lady wouldn’t want to live in the most romantic city in the world?

And so, Song Hwa spent two glorious years in the French capital before eventually flying to New York for her college education.  She worked in Washington for a couple of years after graduation before landing a job at the United Nations, where she met the Korean Prime Minister at one of the UN sessions which she was chairing.  

And now, here she was, on the flight home.  

Is it still my home?  

Sure, Song Hwa had returned to Korea ever so often to visit family and to attend her brothers’ weddings.  But she had lived abroad for so long that she wondered if she could get used to the culture and lifestyle again.

Oh well, no use worrying about this now, Song Hwa thought as the pilot made an announcement about the current cruising altitude.  She unbuckled her seatbelt, lowered the blinds, and pushed a button to recline her seat fully.  Then she laid her head on a small pillow and covered herself with the blanket.

It was time for a nap.

Chapter Text

Ik Jun was having a terrible day.

And it was only eight in the morning.

He had just returned from his two-week work trip in Wellington where he had been leading negotiations for a free trade agreement with New Zealand.  The talks had been going on for the past six months and all in all, they had been quite successful.  The New Zealanders were interested in what the Koreans had to offer, and were eager to enter the next round of talks.  

Ik Jun had initially planned to take a week off after his meetings to visit Auckland and Lake Tekapo.  It had been a long time since he last took a vacation and seven days drinking ice-cold beer on white-sand beaches, exploring spectacular caves and deep glacier lakes, and lying under the dark, star-studded skies felt like a excellent way to loosen the knots in his shoulders and invigorate his wearied body.

Ik Jun’s leave had been approved by SG months ago and he had been looking forward to it - booking hotels, making reservations at popular restaurants and researching must-see sights.  Unfortunately, everything came to naught when he was called into SG’s office one Wednesday afternoon and told that he had to postpone his vacation.  Chae Song Hwa would be joining the Ministry that very week, SG had told him, and he needed Ik Jun to show her around.   

“Ik Jun ah, she’s new,” SG had said, using what he hoped was his most persuasive voice when he saw Ik Jun rolling his eyes. “I need your help to show her the ropes since you are the most senior director and have been working here the longest.” 

“Seok Hyeong and the rest have been here almost as long as I have,” Ik Jun pointed out.  He was not about to give up his vacation without a fight.  “Especially Bong and Han Yang!” 

“Ok, tell you what,” SG said with a conciliatory smile.  “If you help me with this, once Song Hwa has settled in, you can go on leave whenever and however many days you want.  Up to four weeks.” 

And so, Ik Jun was booked on the first flight home after his negotiations so that he could be back in Seoul in time to meet this daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador.  Unfortunately, the weather in New Zealand had been terrible that week and a fog caused Ik Jun’s flight to be delayed for six hours.  And so, by the time he touched down in Seoul, it was two in the morning.  

In his worn out state, Ik Jun had forgotten to set his alarm clock when he went to bed.  So when he jolted awake the next morning, he found to his horror that he was running very late.  Jet lagged, exhausted and groggy, Ik Jun jumped out of bed and scrambled to get ready.  Eventually he managed to get out of the house in half an hour, and as he drove out of his carpark, he congratulated himself for accomplishing such a feat.  

However, midway through the journey when he was stopped at a traffic light, Ik Jun reached into the pockets of his laptop bag and realized that he had forgotten to bring along his staff pass.  Cursing loudly, he hit his head against his steering wheel a couple of times in frustration to the amusement of the passengers in the neighbouring cars.  At the next junction, he made a U-turn and began the drive home.  

And then, as his car crawled home in peak hour traffic, it began to pour, adding to his woes. 

By the time Ik Jun turned into the basement carpark of his office block, he was in a foul mood and all he wanted was to get out of his car and get some caffeine.  A lot of caffeine.  He sped to his usual parking lot, and when he neared, he saw something that caused him to jam his brakes. 

Why is there a car in my lot?!  

Ik Jun cursed for the second time that morning, glowering at the silver foreign-made SUV sitting calmly in his lot.  Sure, there were no assigned parking lots in the building but everyone knew that this was his lot.  The single lot right next to the lift lobby.  

Fuming, he reversed his car into the lot opposite the SUV while thinking about all the possible actions he could take against the driver so that such an error would never occur again.  He fumed even more when he realized that there was nothing he could do without being rude or appearing entitled.

And so, at half-past eight when Ik Jun walked into the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs, he was a ball of fury.  As he was unlocking the door of his office when he spotted Seon Bin walking in his direction with a cheerful bespectacled young lady in a grey suit, her short hair tied up in a tiny ponytail.  Just then, Seon Bin stopped to talk to one of the PAs and the young lady stood next to her, smiling and nodding politely. 

She must be one of the new interns, Ik Jun thought to himself. 

“Hey you, intern,” Ik Jun said, removing his staff pass and waving it at the young lady.  The young lady looked at him slightly confused before glancing at the people around her.  Hearing Ik Jun’s voice, Seon Bin stopped talking mid-sentence and turned around.   

“Yes, you, intern,” Ik Jun said, waving his pass at the young lady again.  As the young lady made no attempt to approach him, Ik Jun rolled his eyes and gave a loud sigh before walking towards her.  Without giving Seon Bin a chance to speak, Ik Jun placed his pass in the young lady’s hand and said, “Go to the cafe in the lobby and get me a triple shot espresso and a large iced vanilla latte and bring it to Beotkkot.”

The young lady looked more confused than ever and in exasperation, Ik Jun looked at Seon Bin and said, “Yah, you need to brief our interns better.  Go and teach her how to use the staff pass at the cafe.  And I need that coffee now.  In Beotkkot.  My meeting starts in thirty minutes.”

As he was walking away, Ik Jun offhandedly called out to the young lady, saying, “Oh, and if you want anything, put it on the pass.”

When he reached the door of his office a moment later, Ik Jun saw, to his annoyance, that the young lady had remained rooted instead of rushing to get his order.

“Yah!  Why are you still standing there?  Get going!” 

Then he glared at her before walking into his office and slamming the door. 

Twenty-five minutes later when Ik Jun walked into Beotkkot with Jun Wan, he saw that his coffees had not yet arrived.  He flopped into his seat, swiveled his chair around so that his back was to the conference table, and closed his eyes.  

Next to him, Jun Wan asked, “What’s up with you?”

With his eyes still closed, Ik Jun replied, “Exhausted.  Don’t talk to me before my coffees arrive.”

“And who is getting them for you?” Jun Wan asked.

“Seon Bin and the new intern.”

Before Jun Wan could ask about the new intern, the door opened and Deputy SG walked in with the other directors.

“Song Hwa isn’t here?” Deputy SG asked, looking at his staff as they sat around the table. 

“Nope,” Ik Jun said, swivelling his chair around when he heard Deputy SG’s voice.  “Maybe she’s not in yet.”

“She’s in,” Deputy SG said, taking his seat near the head of the table.  “She came to introduce herself to SG and me this morning.”

Just then, the door opened and Seon Bin and Seok Min entered with the new intern, each carrying four paper bags from the lobby cafe.  

“I’m sorry I’m late,” the intern said cheerfully as she breezed into the conference room.  “Lee Ik Jun-sshi offered to buy breakfast for everyone.  The order is too large so we only took the ones meant for this meeting.  The interns will bring the rest up to the office when they are ready.”

“Oh wow, this is a nice surprise,” Deputy SG said, looking at Ik Jun with a smile before peeking into a bag and taking out a tray of cups.  “Is this a latte?”

As Seon Bin, Seok Min and the intern passed the bags containing different beverages and an assortment of pastries and sandwiches to the delighted people around the table, Jun Wan whispered to Ik Jun, “You bought breakfast for all of us?  Why?” 

“I certainly did not!” Ik Jun hissed, reaching into his pocket for his phone before belatedly remembering that he had left it in his office.

“And here is your hot chamomile tea, and cucumber juice!” the intern said, placing two cups in front of Ik Jun.

Ik Jun’s face darkened.  

“What?” he said, his voice terse and low.  “I specifically told you I want —”

Before he could finish his sentence, SG entered the conference room.

“Ah, Song Hwa, there you are,” he said with a smile.  “I was worried you might not be able to find the room.”

Song Hwa?

Where?

Did I miss her?

Ik Jun sat up in his seat and glanced around the room.

“Oh, I had no problems at all,” Ik Jun heard the intern next to him say.  Turning abruptly to face her, Ik Jun’s eyes widened as he watched her make her way to SG’s side.  “Seon Bin and Seok Min brought me here.”

Song Hwa?

The intern?!

“And I see you have met Ik Jun?” SG asked, taking his seat and gesturing to Song Hwa to take the seat next to him.

““Yes, I have,” Song Hwa said, smiling at Ik Jun as she sat down.  “Lee Ik Jun-sshi is very sweet.  He bought us all breakfast.”

“Here is your earl grey tea,” she continued, placing a cup and a blueberry muffin in front of SG.  “I learnt from Seon Bin that that’s your breakfast beverage.”

“Oh yes, I’m a tea person,” SG said, looking pleased.  Then, turning to Ik Jun, he said, “Thank you for breakfast and I’m very happy you took the initiative to welcome Song Hwa to the Ministry.”

“Yes, thank you for breakfast, Ik Jun,” Deputy SG said, biting into his chocolate croissant and sweeping the crumbs onto the carpet.  “This is very generous of you.”

“You are most welcome,” Ik Jun said, smiling and nodding at his colleagues.  

“Oh, and here is your pass, Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” Song Hwa said, sliding his staff pass across the table to him.  Then, with her eyes never leaving his, she opened the lid of her cup, took a sip before giving Ik Jun a radiant smile, saying, “And thank you so much for my coffee, Lee Ik Jun-sshi.  This triple shot espresso is exactly what I need.” 

“What is happening?” Seok Hyeong whispered to Jeong Won, their eyes fixed on the unfolding drama.

“I have no idea,” Jeong Won said, watching Song Hwa laugh at something Deputy SG said while Ik Jun sat in his seat looking like a grimacing tomato trying not to explode.

“But I think Ik Jun has met his match.”

When the meeting to welcome Song Hwa ended an hour later, Ik Jun stomped out of Beotkkot and made a beeline for his office.  He was, however, waylaid by an overwhelming number of colleagues along the way thanking him for breakfast.  Smiling stiffly, Ik Jun mumbled polite replies while his mind raced to calculate how much of his money the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador had spent at the cafe.

Ik Jun got his answer the moment he stepped into his office and picked up his handphone.

$446.50?!

Who on earth spends this much at a lobby cafe?!

As Ik Jun slumped in his chair raging over the breakfast fiasco, he heard a chorus of laughter coming from outside his office.  He looked out of his glass walls and saw Han Yang introducing Song Hwa to the officers and PAs seated outside her office.  He watched one of the interns - Ik Jun couldn’t recall his name, but he was the one with the twin sister - bow politely to Song Hwa before showing her something on his computer screen. 

Annoyed, Ik Jun clicked the button on the side of his table and his glass walls turned opaque.  Then he leant back in his chair, closed his eyes, and was contemplating the best way to manage this daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador when he heard a loud knock on his door before it swung open.

“Yah, Lee Ik Jun,” Jun Wan said, walking into Ik Jun’s office with Seok Hyeong and Jeong Won.  “SG wants me to tell you that we are having lunch with Song Hwa later.”

“What!  No,” Ik Jun said, shaking his head.  “I have plans.”

“No, you don’t,” Jun Wan replied, sitting on the meeting table while Seok Hyeong and Jeong Won sat opposite Ik Jun.

“By the way, what happened just now?” Jeong Won asked.  “Why did you buy everyone breakfast?”

At Jeong Won’s words, Ik Jun let loose the pressure that had been building inside him the entire morning, beginning with the terrible drive to work and ending with how the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador, despite spending almost $500 on his pass at the lobby cafe, did not get him the two cups of coffee that he wanted. 

Unfortunately for Ik Jun, the understanding and sympathy he was hoping to receive from his friends did not materialize.  Instead, they laughed gleefully at his misfortune and were overjoyed that the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador had spent so much of his money. 

“Yah, this Chae Song Hwa is impressive,” Seok Hyeong said, grinning at the frustrated Ik Jun.  “I like her already.”

“Me too,” Jeong Won said.  “We should get her to hang out with us.  How about inviting her to poker night?”

“Don’t you dare,” Ik Jun said, glaring at Jeong Won.  “Whose side are you on anyway?”

“Hers, obviously,” Jun Wan replied.  “You were the one who was rude to her in the first place.”  Then after a quick glance at his watch, he jumped off the table and said, “Anyway, we should get back to work.  SG said to meet him at 12 at the lift lobby.”

Lunch turned out to be an uneventful affair, thankfully.  

SG, Deputy SG and the other directors were so enamoured with the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador that they spent most of lunch peppering her with questions about her background, her life in Europe and New York, and how the Prime Minister managed to convince her to return home.  

Seated at the far end of the table, Ik Jun and his three friends shared civil service gossip and when dessert was being served, Ik Jun suggested that they schedule their next poker night.  Seok Hyeong told the group that the next two weekends were out as his in-laws were in town.  The weekend after that was not possible either, as Jeong Won had to attend a wedding with his wife in Busan.  

“So Saturday night a month from now then?” Ik Jun asked, looking at the calendar on his phone.  Then he looked at Jun Wan, “Will your girlfriend allow you to join us this time?”

“Your sister will be in Pohang that week for some military exercise,” Jun Wan replied, nibbling on a perilla leaf.  “So yes, I’ll be free.”

“It’s settled then,” Ik Jun said, updating his calendar.  “Jun Wan’s place at 7pm.”

Just then, Ik Jun thought heard his name mentioned at the other end of the table.  Perking up his ears, he found out that SG was telling Song Hwa about the band that Ik Jun, Seok Hyeong, Jun Wan and Jeong Wan were in and how they would perform at Ministry events.  To Ik Jun’s horror, SG went on to suggest that Song Hwa join them as their bassist, as their last bassist had just been posted to Beijing.  When Song Hwa made polite noises about how she did not know how to play the bass guitar, Deputy SG chimed in with a story about how he once serenaded his then-girlfriend (now wife) with a faulty guitar that only had four strings.  Fortunately, SG was so invested in Deputy SG’s story that his earlier suggestion of Song Hwa joining their band was not mentioned again. 

Later that evening when Song Hwa was driving to her parents’ house, she thought about her first day at work.  Truth be told, she was rather apprehensive about this day.  She didn’t know anyone and it was always difficult being a newcomer.  Thankfully, everyone in the Ministry seemed nice and she was given a corner office with large windows that overlooked the city.  She liked the comfortable looking couch, the spacious bookshelves and was fascinated by the button that turned the glass walls opaque.  All in all, the Ministry seemed like a good place to start this season of her life. 

Except for one minor problem.

The man who yelled at her.  

The one who mistook her for an intern.

As she navigated the bumper to bumper peak hour traffic, Song Hwa wondered if she had gone too far when she used his pass to buy breakfast for everyone working on the 20th floor.  Seon Bin and Seok Min had been horrified when she told them her plan as they stood in line at the cafe.  They did their best to dissuade her, telling her that the incident was a terrible misunderstanding and that Lee Ik Jun-sshi was just having a bad day.  

However, Song Hwa would have none of it.  Since Lee Ik Jun-sshi said she could put anything she wanted on his pass, that was exactly what she did.  And shouldn’t he be thanking her instead?  It was because of her that he managed to score some brownie points with SG and Deputy SG.  Seon Bin even told her that the news of his generosity had spread to the other floors of the Ministry.    

He’s actually quite handsome, in his navy blue suit and metal-rimmed glasses, Song Hwa thought as she turned into a street leading to a quiet residential area.  Then, she chuckled loudly as she recalled the sight of him sipping his green cucumber juice in the conference room, his face all flushed and the tips of his ears pink, nodding politely when everyone thanked him for breakfast.

Too bad he’s a rude grumpy man.

Chapter Text

Ik Jun stared at his computer screen in disbelief.

Did the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador just send a proposal on enhancing custom procedures and trade facilitation to Minister without first getting my approval?

Sure, these were issues that Ik Jun’s team had been working on and sure, it was a very well thought through and well-written paper and she made some excellent points which Ik Jun wished he had thought of.  But this was no reason for her to send her proposal directly to the new Minister.  This was the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs, for crying out loud, not her father’s company!  There were rules and reporting structures that needed to be followed.  Somebody needed to tell her that. 

Muttering words which could not be repeated in polite company, Ik Jun got up abruptly from his seat and stormed out of his office.   

“I’m afraid you are badly mistaken, Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” Song Hwa said with a wry smile.  “I do not report to you.”

“Of course you do,” Ik Jun said coldly, standing at her door with his arms folded.  “I apologize on SG’s behalf if he didn’t make the reporting lines clear to you.  But make no mistake about this.  You report to me, just like all the Special Assistants before you.”

“And I apologize on SG’s behalf if he didn’t make the reporting lines clear to you , Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” Song Hwa replied, her smile never leaving her face.  “SG told me in no uncertain terms that I only need to report to him and Minister.  Why would I report to you when I don’t even need to report to Deputy SG?”

“You are terribly mistaken,” Ik Jun said, feeling his face turn warm.  “There is no way SG would have agreed for you to bypass me and report directly to him, especially since you’ve been in the Civil Service for two days.  You don’t even know how this place works!”

“If there is anyone who is mistaken, it is you, Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” Song Hwa said, turning her attention back to the stack of documents in front of her.  “I suggest you clarify this with SG instead of standing here wasting everybody’s time.”

“I feel exactly the same way,” Ik Jun said.  “Why don’t you come with me to SG’s office now and we’ll clear things up with him?  You should hear from him who your boss really is.”

At his words, Song Hwa glanced at him and without a moment’s hesitation, stood up from her seat, saying, “Of course, Lee Ik Jun-sshi, whatever helps you sleep at night.” 

Unfortunately, the talk with SG did not help Ik Jun sleep that night.  Tossing and turning in his bed, his mind replayed the very moment SG told him that Song Hwa was right, that she did not report to Ik Jun at all.  New Minister had made that decision when Ik Jun was away in New Zealand, SG explained, it had completely slipped the latter’s mind when Ik Jun returned.  Apologizing for his oversight, SG told him that Song Hwa would report directly to him and Minister.  Ik Jun would of course be copied on all emails and reports related to his portfolios, so that he could give his views as well.

“Oh, and before I forget, Minister also asked that all your reports and proposals be sent to Song Hwa instead of sending them directly to her,” SG said.  “Minister would like Song Hwa to take a first look and give her views too.  Minister wants to know what everybody has to say before she makes a decision.”

“But it’s not just you,” SG explained, seeing the incensed look on Ik Jun’s face.  “It applies to all the directors too.”  

“Are you telling me that I now report to Chae Song Hwa- sshi ?” Ik Jun asked, his voice low and tense. 

“No, no, of course not,” SG said hurriedly, waving his hand.  “It’s purely for Song Hwa to give her views.”

“Although as I understand it, I can suggest amendments to Lee Ik Jun-sshi’s reports if they are wrong?” Song Hwa asked, with an almost triumphant note in her voice.

“Well, yes, if there are glaring errors,” SG said.  “But that rarely happens, if at all,” he continued, giving Ik Jun a conciliatory smile.  “Ik Jun is excellent at his work.”

“I’m sure he is,” Song Hwa said with a bright smile, nodding in agreement.

It was the smirk that the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador had given to him when they were leaving SG’s office that made Ik Jun want to scream.  He could still see it now - the smug, victorious smile that she had flashed at him as she literally skipped out of SG’s office.  Ik Jun wanted to yell at SG too; how could he have forgotten to tell him such an important piece of instruction, making him look like a fool in front of that infuriating  daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador. 

Ik Jun had shut himself in his office for the rest of the day, refusing contact with everyone except his PA.  He even forwent lunch, missing the rare treat that Jeong Won was giving at the tteokbokki place opposite their building.  It’s just as well, Ik Jun thought as he nibbled his cold sandwich at his desk.  Jun Wan told him that Jeong Won had invited Song Hwa along and the last thing Ik Jun wanted was to have lunch with that smug daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador. 

Reaching for his covers, Ik Jun closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. 

Tomorrow was a big day.

Here we go!

Minister Jung Rosa watched as her car pulled up to her new office building.  Thirty years in politics, twenty-seven years as a Minister, four Ministries, and it still felt like the first day of school.  The butterflies in her stomach, the quickened pounding of her heart, the adrenalin rush.  What new adventures lay in wait for her at this new place?

The car stopped in front of the lobby and the awaiting security guard reached forward to open her door.  With a smile and a nod, Minister Jung got out of the car and walked briskly to the private lift lobby, her four-person security detail following behind her.  

The elevator brought her directly to her new office on the 20th floor where she was greeted by the SG of the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs.

“Good morning, Minister,” SG said with a bow.  “It’s good to see you again.”

“Good morning, Ju Jeon.  I hope you have been well,” Minister Jung said with a smile.  “Sorry to schedule our meeting so early, but I wanted to have a chat with you before we meet the directors.”

“No problem at all,” SG said.  “I met with the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff yesterday and there are some issues that I need to discuss with you too.  But first, may I introduce you to your new staff?”

SG began a round of introductions, beginning with the two armed guards at the security counter next to the private lift lobby.   After Minister Jung greeted the guards, the Head of her security detail asked if she would like them to be stationed at this counter whenever she was in the office.  

“Yes, of course,” Minister Jung said with a quick nod.  “Actually, there is no need for all of you to be with me when I am walking around this floor.  Only when I go to the other floors.” 

Then, a member of the security detail pushed open a heavy wooden door, revealing a reception and an office area for Minister Jung’s PAs.  There, SG introduced Minister Jung to her three PAs who bowed in unison when they greeted their new Minister.  Thereafter, one of the PAs opened another set of doors which led to Minister Jung’s office.  Minster Jung and SG entered the office and the PA closed the door behind them. 

Her first time in this office, Minister Jung was pleased to see that all her books and belongings from her previous office had been neatly arranged on the shelves and her desk.  She noted the eight person conference table on the left side of the room, and on the right were a white leather couch, a coffee table and a television.  

“Do you like your office?” SG asked when Minister Jung poked her head into her private bathroom.  “We had some minor renovations done.”

“Oh yes, it is very nice,” Minister Jung replied, tapping her right foot lightly on the soft white carpet that made her feel as if she was walking on clouds. 

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door and her PA entered with a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, placing them on the coffee table.

“Come, Ju Jeon,” Minister Jung said, walking over to take a seat on the couch.  “Let’s have a chat.” 

By the time they finished their discussion, it was time for Minister Jung to meet her new staff.  Together with SG, she made her way to Beotkkot, where Deputy SG and the directors were gathered.  They bowed politely when Minister Jung entered, and sat down after she had taken her seat at the head of the conference table.  Then the self-introductions began. 

Minister Jung smiled at Deputy SG and each of the directors when they stood to introduce themselves and give her a summary of their portfolios.  She was pleased that she met SG before this as he had helpfully provided her with the background of each of the directors.  She could now put a face to the name and information that SG had shared with her. 

Lee Ji Hoon:  Director in charge of Administration.  Graduated with a degree in Philosophy from Yonsei University.  Married with a son and a daughter. 

Bong Kwang Hyeon: Director in charge of the Asia Pacific region. Graduated with an Economics degree from Yonsei University.  Married with two daughters and a son.

Yoo Han Yang: Director in charge of the countries in Central Asia. Graduated with a Masters in Chemical Engineering from Korea University.  Single. 

Next came the group of directors whom SG claimed were the best of friends.

Kim Jun Wan:  Director in charge of Strategic Communications and Technology.  Graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering from Seoul National University.  Single, but dating a military officer.

Yang Seok Hyeong: Director in charge of the countries in Europe.  Graduated with a degree in Political Science from Seoul National University.  Married to Chu Min Ha, who was also working in the Ministry as an Assistant Director in the Office of Corporate Affairs.  Two young daughters.

Ahn Jeong Won: Director in charge of the countries in North and South America.  Graduated with a degree in Political Science from Seoul National University.  Married to Jang Gyeoul, who was also working in the Ministry as an Assistant Director in the International Organisations department.  A pair of young twin boys.  

As Ik Jun stood to introduce himself, Minister Jung recalled the conversation she had with SG in her office.

“Ahh, Ik Jun, our Chief Negotiator,” SG had said with a doting smile.  “Graduated top of his class in the Law Faculty at Seoul National University and recipient of multiple book prizes and awards.  Courted by the largest law firms in Seoul but he had his heart set on the Civil Service.”

Minister Jung had nodded and said, “Yes, PM and the Attorney-General had mentioned him at one of our lunches.  AG apparently has big plans for him.”

“Yes, he’s no doubt one of the high fliers,” SG had said.  “So high-flying that he often gets tasked directly by PM and AG.  Oh, and the President too.”

“He can cope with the workload?”

“Very well,” SG had said, taking a sip of his tea.  “Although he can get grumpy at times, there is no question about his mind and ability.”

“Wife?”

“Not married.”

“Seeing anyone?” Minister Jung had asked, placing her coffee cup on the table.

“Not that I know of,” SG had said.  “Although there were rumours that some female officers in the Ministry were interested in him.”

“Ahh, young love,” Minister Jung had said with a loud chuckle.  “It’s the same everywhere.  We had so many star-crossed lovers in the Defence Ministry too.”

And finally, Chae Song Hwa.

“It’s ok, Song Hwa, we can skip your introduction since we have already met,” Minister Jung said with a smile.  “I trust your parents are well?”

“Very well, Minister,” Song Hwa replied, returning her smile.  “Thank you for your concern.”

With the introductions out of the way, Minister Jung thanked everyone for taking the time to meet her, and shared with them a bit of herself - how she started her political career (her father was a politician, and she became interested in politics after helping him during his election campaigns), the Ministries she had worked in (Labour, Education, Interior, Defence), and her working style (detail and people oriented, subscribed to an open door policy).  She urged everyone present to work as a team, focus on doing their best and she would provide them with all the support they needed.

When her speech ended, Ji Hoon gave a presentation on the Ministry’s calendar for the next two years.  These included international conferences, bilateral and multilateral meetings and free trade agreement negotiations (and two possible signing ceremonies, depending on how the negotiations went).  There were also in-house events with Minister Jung as the guest-of-honour.  Ji Hoon also brought Minister Jung through a schedule of trips that had been planned in order to introduce her to the country’s trade partners and allies.

“Thank you, this is very well thought out,” Minister Jung said, squinting at the colourful slide.  “So my first trip will be in three weeks’ time?”

“Yes, Minister,” SG replied.  “Ik Jun will be joining you on the trip and we presume Song Hwa too?”

“Yes, of course,” Minister Jung replied, smiling at Song Hwa.  “Please put together all the briefs that I need to read and give them to me at least three days before we fly.”

“Yes, Minister.”

——————————————-

It was on Thursday, on Song Hwa’s ninth day of work, when she realised that her honeymoon period was over.  No more following Seon Bin and Seok Min around the office, getting to know the other officers in the Ministry.  No more sitting around in meetings drinking coffee and getting briefed on each department’s portfolio.  No more chilling out in her nice big office reading documents about the status of the various trade agreements, and the country’s policy positions on a range of trade and foreign affairs-related issues.  

It was now 12.45 pm and Song Hwa had already met Minister three times, had four discussions with SG and Deputy SG, and had called Seon Bin and Seok Min countless times to give them never-ending instructions from the bosses.  

Thankfully, the weekend was almost here.    

This weekend was going to be a special one - Song Hwa was going camping!  Ever since her return, she had been dying to go, but hadn’t had the chance to until now.  Song Hwa had already bought new camping attire and equipment.  And just before bed yesterday, she made a list of food she needed to buy - pork belly, beef brisket, cheese sausages, ramyeon... Just thinking about all the food she was going to eat this weekend made Song Hwa hungry.

Right then, her office phone rang.  It was Seok Hyeong, asking if Song Hwa would like to join him and the guys for lunch.  

“Yes, please!” Song Hwa said.  “But I don’t have much time, I have a meeting at 2.”

“Staff cafeteria then?” 

“Great!  I’ll meet you at the lift lobby in five minutes!”

“Where’s Lee Ik Jun-sshi?” Song Hwa asked as she dug into her jjampong.  “I haven’t seen him around the office.”

“He’s in Sydney with some folks from the Finance Ministry for the G20 Senior Officials Meeting,” Jeong Won said, cutting his hamburg steak.  

“G20 meeting?” Song Hwa said, surprised.  “Doesn’t Minister need to be there?”

“Nope,” Seok Hyeong replied, mixing his bibimbap.  “This one is for government officials.  Minister only attends the Ministerial-level meetings.”

“Why are you looking for him anyway?” Jeong Won asked, glancing at Song Hwa.  “You need something?”

“No, not really,” Song Hwa replied, her mouth full of noodles.  “It’s just that our trip is coming up next weekend and I was wondering if he needed help with anything.”

“He’ll be back tomorrow,” Jun Wan said, balancing two slices of radish on his spoonful of bibimbap .  “Although If he needs anything from you, he’d have called or emailed you by now.”  

“Ahh, ok then,” Song Hwa said, deshelling a prawn with her chopsticks.  “So, can I ask you all something?”

“Of course,” Seok Hyeong said, picking at his banchan.  “Anything.”

 “Are you guys really in a band?  SG mentioned at lunch the other day that you guys are in a band together?”

“We are,” Seok Hyeong said, looking at Jeong Won and Jun Wan.  “Although we haven’t played for a while.”

“Why?”

“We used to have a bassist, but he was posted to Beijing so we kind of stopped after that,” Jun Wan said, slurping his soup.  

“I am surprised that you guys could start a band,” Song Hwa said with a grin.  “I imagine that the workload here must be quite heavy.”

“Well, we have been playing for a while,” Jeong Won said.  “We started the band when we were in college.”

“In college?” Song Hwa said.  

Emptying his soda into his glass, Jun Wan explained,“Ik Jun and I met in high school and we formed a band with a few of our friends. The two of us got into the same college and we met Seok Hyeong and Jeong Won during orientation.  We started talking and one thing led to another, and the next thing we knew, we were jamming together.”

“When we joined this Ministry, we used to play at staff events and our former colleague joined us as our bassist,” Seok Hyeong said.  “But we stopped after he left.  Also, Jeong Won and I got married and had kids, so we didn’t have much time to practise.”

“We should play again though, I kind of miss it,” Jeong Won said wistfully. 

“Yes, we should,” Seok Hyeong said, nodding his head.  “We should.”

——————————————-

It was a beautiful morning when Song Hwa arrived at the campsite.  With the warmth of the sun at her back and a soft gentle breeze upon her face, Song Hwa smiled as she analyzed the direction of the wind before selecting the perfect spot for her tent.  Placing her camping gear on the ground next to her, she unfolded her blue tarp and was laying it on the grass when her phone rang.  She reached into her pocket and took out her phone.

Hmm.  An unknown number.

“Hello?” Song Hwa said, using her ear and left shoulder to grip her phone so that she could straighten the tarp. 

“Chae Song Hwa-sshi?  This is Lee Ik Jun.  Seon Bin gave me your number.”

“Good morning, Lee Ik Jun-sshi.  How may I —”

“What time can I expect you in the office?”

Song Hwa was so surprised by his question that she didn’t notice the slight edge in his voice.  Dropping her poles on the grass, Song Hwa asked, “It’s Saturday.  Is there a reason why I am expected to be in the office?”

She heard what sounded like an exasperated sigh before Ik Jun said, “Did you not get SG’s instruction yesterday about the note that your team is supposed to draft?  The note to keep Minister informed of all the administrative and logistical matters regarding the trip?”

“Yes, Seon Bin has drafted it and I told her I’ll look at it on Monday.  Why?”

“I need the note now please.”

“Now?  Why?”

“I need you to come in now and approve it please.”

“What’s the big urgency?”

“I have a meeting with SG on Monday morning and I need to keep him updated too.”

“Then I’ll give it to you on Monday morning,” Song Hwa said, picking up her poles.  “I’m camping now, Lee Ik Jun-sshi, I’m not about to drive back to the office to approve a two-page document.”

“Monday morning may be too late.”

“What time is your meeting with SG?”

“10.”

“I’ll give it to you by 8.”

“I just said —”

“Do you go camping, Lee Ik Jun-sshi?”

“Yes, I do, but that’s not —”

“You do?” Song Hwa said, surprised by the revelation.  Lee Ik Jun-sshi didn’t strike her as the camping sort.  He looked like the big-city type.

“I didn’t call to talk to you about camping, Chae Song Hwa-sshi,” Ik Jun said.  “What time can I —”

“The note will be in your inbox by 8 on Monday, Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” Song Hwa said.  

“Yah!  I said —” 

Click.  

The line went dead. 

Later that night, after she had finished her dinner of ramyeon and barbecued meats, Song Hwa sat on her chair with a beer, enjoying the view of the mountains at sunset.  She thought of the conversation she had earlier with Ik Jun, and chuckled when she imagined how red his face must have turned when she hung up on him.

Reaching for the phone in her pocket, Song Hwa clicked on his number and decided that she should save it.  She started typing his name but stopped halfway and deleted what she had typed. 

I have a much better name for him, she thought, typing a new name into her phone. 

When she was done, Song Hwa gazed at her masterpiece proudly.

Then she giggled. 

Chapter Text

Ik Jun stepped out of the elevator in his black running attire, an electric blue windbreaker and a black cap.  Striding towards the main exit of the hotel, he passed an impressive tall bronze sculpture of a man climbing a ladder, and a group of chattering tourists awaiting their turn at the check-in counter.  When Ik Jun got to the main door, the doorman greeted him with a smile and a hearty ‘good morning’ before opening the door for him.  Thanking the young man, Ik Jun walked out of the red brick building, crossed a narrow driveway, then stood in front of the hotel, between two large potted plants, to do his warm up exercises. He began with some side lunges, leg swings and shoulder rolls, before stretching out his hamstrings and calves.  

Then he was off.

It was seven in the morning and Ik Jun had never seen the streets of London this quiet.  It was not surprising actually, as it was Saturday after all.  The offices in this part of town were closed and it was too early for tourists to be out and about.  With the warmth of the sun on his skin and a gentle breeze brushing his cheeks, Ik Jun took a right turn outside his hotel, passing a cafe that, although lit, still had its doors firmly shut.  He jogged down Tothill Street, passing two hotels before arriving at a junction with a Royal Mail post box.  Ik Jun had always liked how regal these post boxes looked, dressed in their red and black livery, with the monarchical insignia embossed proudly on their chests.  

As he made his way down the delightfully tranquil Victoria Street and Broad Sanctuary, Ik Jun took in the familiar sights of London - the Westminster Abbey, the Supreme Court and Parliament Square Garden.  He also passed the Big Ben, and was glad to see that it had been released from its scaffolding; its famous bongs were back too.  

When he reached the Westminster Bridge, Ik Jun stopped for just a moment to take a photo of the London Eye.  He had seen the ferris wheel a dozen times before, but this morning, it looked particularly stunning against the blue cloudless sky.  Once he was done, he continued on his way, squeezing past some speed walkers in bright neon lycra sportswear and a young man desperately steering five barking dogs away from oncoming cars.  

As he made his way across the River Thames, the events of the past week flitted through Ik Jun’s mind.  From the warm welcome they received at the airport, to the numerous meetings they had with politicians and senior government officials.  Minister Jung also made time to meet with the Korean business leaders and students based in London.  Held over lunch in a high end restaurant located in a Palladian style building, the business community shared ideas on how to increase the market share of Korean products in Europe and the role the Ministry could play to facilitate such access.  The students, on the other hand, were treated to dinner at one of the oldest Korean restaurants in London recommended by the Ambassador.   Over the delicious meal that reminded them of home, the students told Minister Jung stories about their school life, how much they missed their families and friends, and their plans for the future.  In turn, Minister Jung encouraged them to make the most of their time here - to make friends, try different experiences and of course, to study hard too.   

Minister Jung had been most pleased with these meetings and dialogues, and in the debrief session the night before, she had given out instructions on the issues that she wanted Ik Jun and his team to look into when they returned to Seoul.  

Making a right turn at St Thomas Hospital, Ik Jun ran parallel to the river, watching a solitary river boat cruise upriver.  From his vantage point, he had a splendid view of the Palace of Westminster, a stunning piece of Gothic architecture built with honey-coloured limestone.  Bathed in the morning sun, the huge complex looked stately and reassuring.  After surviving a number of fires and reconstructions since the 11th century, it now served as a meeting place for the Houses of Parliament.  Ik Jun took another pit stop to take a photo of the Palace, taking care to ensure that he could capture the entire complex, especially the Union Jack flag flying on top of the Victoria Tower.  

Hmm, does this mean that the Queen is in?   

Ahh, no, Ik Jun realized as he restarted his run.  If so, the Royal Standard will be flown. 

Across the river, Song Hwa stepped out of the hole-in-the-wall cafe with a large hot latte.  Making her way down Storey’s Gate, she passed a traditional British pub where they had dinner the night before.  Song Hwa had recommended this small, cozy, wood paneled pub to Minister Jung, informing her that her family used to eat here when her father was working in London.  They often bumped into parliamentarians here, since it was located so close to the Houses of Parliament.  She crossed the pedestrian crossing at Birdcage Walk and soon found herself in St James Park.

Song Hwa took a leisurely stroll around the park, admiring the little colourful spring flowers that had sprouted in the flower beds.  Eventually, her walk took her to the lake in the middle of the park.  I wonder if I’ll be able to see the pelicans today, she thought as she took another sip of her coffee.  Sadly, the resident birds were nowhere to be seen, so Song Hwa walked to a nearby bench and took a seat, enjoying the calm of the morning.

What an interesting trip it has been, Song Hwa thought as she watched a pair of young boys toss small pieces of bread into the lake to feed the fishes.  Although Song Hwa had gone on her fair share of work trips, it was quite eye-opening travelling with a Minister.  Being received on the aerobridge by a junior member of the Cabinet, sitting in a fancy airport lounge sipping cocktails and nibbling dainty sandwiches and pastries while waiting for their passports to be processed and their luggages collected, being driven around in a luxurious armoured van, accompanied at all times by what felt like an army of security personnel.  And of course, a week of wining and dining at exquisite restaurants hosted by their British counterparts.

Song Hwa’s train of thought was interrupted when she heard a chime from her handphone.  It was a text from Ahn Chi Hong, Ik Jun’s Assistant Negotiator, who had joined them on the trip.  Chi Hong had sent the delegation a link to an article in a major Korean newspaper on Minister Jung’s meeting with Britain’s Foreign Secretary the day before.  The article gushed about the renewed ties between the two countries and published the photo that the delegation had taken with the Foreign Secretary and his officials.  

Song Hwa recalled how long it took them to pose for this photo as Minister Jung had wanted to make sure that the delegation looked perfect for the shot.  Minister Jung had spent some time arranging them before eventually deciding that they looked best when she was flanked by Song Hwa and Chi Hong, with Ik Jun by Song Hwa’s side.  We look more balanced this way, height-wise , Minister Jung had said with a laugh.  

As Song Hwa studied the photo, she thought about how different Lee Ik Jun-sshi looked when he smiled, how cute.  

Someone should tell him that he should stop scowling and smile more often.  

Ik Jun continued on his way down Albert Embankment, passing the Lambeth River Station, a fire station that sat on the bank of the River Thames.  It had two bright red fire boats docked by the side.  He continued down Albert Embankment, passing a mix of contemporary office buildings, Georgian terraced houses, and hotels housed in beautifully restored Edwardian style buildings.  Then after crossing the Vauxhall Bridge, he ran down Millbank, passing a playground with timber horse sculptures half sticking out from the ground for children to clamber on.  There were other familiar play equipment too, like swings, a sandpit, and a slide.  There was also a water play section, but it was closed for repairs.  

Taking a peek at his watch, Ik Jun realised that he should start making his way back to the hotel.  According to the admin note that Song Hwa had prepared for Minister Jung, they were supposed to meet at the lobby of the hotel at half past eight that morning.

Ahh, the admin note, Ik Jun thought as he slowed to glance at the banners outside the Tate Britain, an art gallery that reminded him of a temple, with its grand porticoed entrance way and central dome. Even thinking about the note now annoyed him. How dare the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador hang up on me, he huffed, picking his pace.  

Ik Jun recalled how, when he entered the office on that fateful Monday morning, the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador was already in.  Chatting with the intern who sat outside her office, she grinned and waved at Ik Jun when she saw him.  He acknowledged her with a nod and walked straight to his office.  He logged in his computer and went through his inbox, and he found the promised admin note.  

The daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador came in early today, Ik Jun had muttered to himself when he saw the 7.12am timestamp.

Now nearing the hotel, Ik Jun slowed his pace and checked his watch again.  Just enough time for a quick shower.  On the other side of the road, he spotted Chi Hong with the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador walking in the direction of the hotel.

“Good morning,” Chi Hong greeted Ik Jun when their paths finally met.

“Morning,” Ik Jun said, walking next to his deputy.  “Both of you went out?”

“Oh no,” Song Hwa replied quickly, throwing her empty coffee cup into a nearby bin.  “I came out for a coffee and bumped into Chi Hong on the way back.”

“And I came out to get some water,” Chi Hong said, opening his bag of bottled water to show Ik Jun.  “Want one?” he asked and Ik Jun accepted his offer with a quick word of thanks.  

Then as they walked back to the hotel, Ik Jun spoke to Chi Hong about the draft email that the latter had sent to him for approval the night before.  In addition to keeping SG and Deputy SG informed of their meetings and engagements, Ik Jun told Chi Hong to include Minister Jung’s instructions to expedite the deliberation and approval process.  Chi Hong nodded and said that he would send the revised email to Ik Jun the moment they returned to their rooms. 

When Ik Jun arrived at the lobby later, fresh from his shower, his hair neatly styled, the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador was already there. They greeted each other, then stood in silence near the main entrance, watching the concierge assist guests with their suitcases.  Eventually, Ik Jun moved away to look at the brochures on the display rack advertising day trips from London while Song Hwa stood near a pillar scrolling through her handphone.  

Very soon, Minister Jung arrived with her security detail and Chi Hong, and the group made its way to the awaiting van.  Now that the official programme had ended, Minister Jung was much more relaxed.  Seated next to Song Hwa, she told them about a documentary that she had watched the night before on the mating rituals of insects; she also showed them photographs of her three young grandchildren. 

“So, where are we off to?” Minister Jung asked Song Hwa as their van and the accompanying police escort pulled out of the hotel driveway.  “Did you say Shoreditch?” 

“Yes, Minister,” Song Hwa replied.  “Since the weather has been lovely this week, I thought it’d be nice to explore a London neighbourhood instead of going to a museum or a shopping mall.”

“That’s a wonderful idea,  I had the same thought myself,” Minister Jung said with a smile before opening her handbag.  “Now, where are my sunglasses?”

Located in the London Borough of Hackney, Shoreditch is a vibrant trendy neighbourhood bursting with fabulous restaurants, bars, cafes, vintage shops, and an eclectic array of attractions.  

The first thing that caught Minister Jung’s attention when she got off the van was the graffiti on the walls of the buildings.  Or street art, according to Song Hwa.

The van had dropped the group next to a low-rise building with a luminous pink wall and a huge drawing of a grey tea cup and a black high heel shoe.  “This is fascinating,” Minister Jung said, looking at the surrounding office blocks, buildings, and abandoned lots covered with colourful murals and graffiti art.  Accompanied by three security officers and her team, Minister Jung strolled down the street, stopping ever so often to take photos - the black and white drawing of a flower on the facade of a four storey building, a huge hairy rat on the side of a dirty yellow building, and a mural featuring blue-faced women with long wavy hair, which reminded Minister Jung of the movie, Avatar .  Minister Jung nodded when she heard Ik Jun tell Chi Hong how such graffiti would never be allowed back home.  

Their first stop in Shoreditch was a corner cafe with black walls and awning.  Taking one of the tables outside, Minister Jung ordered french toast with banana and maple syrup, Song Hwa said she’d try a full English breakfast with scrambled eggs, Ik Jun got a breakfast sandwich with bacon, and Chi Hong ordered the overnight oats with pear and coconut.  As they sat eating their breakfast under the watchful eyes of Minister Jung’s security officers at the next table, Minister Jung took the opportunity to find out more about her officers.

“So, Ik Jun” Minister Jung said, observing Song Hwa gently sweep the little flakes of parsley off her scrambled eggs before turning her attention to the man seated opposite her. “Tell me about your family.  What do your parents do?  Do you have any siblings?”

In between bites of his sandwich, Ik Jun told Minister Jung that his parents were living in Changwon. His father was the principal of a high school and his mother was a middle school science teacher.  He had a sister who was an army officer.

“Army officer?” Minister Jung said, looking at Ik Jun excitedly, her mind now flooded with memories of her days as Defence Minister.  “Which unit is she in and what is her rank?”  Minister Jung and Ik Jun spoke at length about his sister’s time in the military before Minister Jung turned her attention to Chi Hong and asked him the same questions about his family.  

When they were done with breakfast, Ik Jun waved the server over and was about to pay when Minister Jung stopped him.  

“Everything is on me today,” Minister Jung said, tapping her card on the credit card terminal.  “It’s a reward for all the hard work you all have done for this trip.”  Surprised, the three of them demurred, saying they shouldn’t be rewarded for just doing their jobs.  Ik Jun also pointed out that they were each given a daily allowance by the Ministry when they travel overseas for work.  Dismissing their words with a wave of her hand, Minister Jung kept her wallet, then looked at Song Hwa and said, “So, where are we off to next?”

“Has Minister heard of a graffiti artist called Banksy?” Song Hwa asked.  “He has a couple of works around here and we could take a look.”

“Oh yes,” Minister Jung said.  “My husband has told me about him.  He’s the one who shredded his work just after selling it at an auction.  More than a million dollars, was it?”

“Yes, that’s him,” Song Hwa said with a grin.  “It was a canvas version of his mural, Girl with Balloon.  Some of his works can be controversial, but since he’s such a famous artist, I thought it’ll be interesting to take a look anyway.” 

“Sure, why not?” Minister Jung said, putting on her sunglasses before standing up.  Her security officers at the next table followed suit.  “I’ll take photos of this Banksy’s art and show them to my husband when I get home!”

It was past lunch time when they finally found the Banksy paintings.  As they were standing in front of a white wall looking at a perspex-protected drawing of a policeman and a dog wearing a black ribbon, Ik Jun realized that the painting was located not too far from where they had breakfast earlier.  However, they had taken such a long time to get here as Minister Jung, led by the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador, taken a long meandering route, stopping at designer stores, plant shops, bookshops, homewares shops, all manner of vintage shops, and even a shopping mall made up of shipping containers where they had taken a short break for ice-cream. 

After taking the obligatory photos, Song Hwa told Minister Jung that there was another Banksy painting a few steps away.  Also protected by perspex, this painting was a white dog casually pointing a shoulder-mounted bazooka at a gramophone.  While Minister Jung was taking a photo of this second drawing, a boisterous tour group walked towards them.  Ik Jun watched as Minister Jung’s security officers positioned themselves around her discreetly to prevent the group from getting too close.  Thankfully, the guide for the group stopped a short distance away and began telling them about the painting.  Ik Jun learnt that the white dog was called Nipper and the painting could be interpreted as a cultural clash between old and young culture. It could also be a comment by Banksy on the conservative and over-commercialized music industry and the dog’s attempt to destroy it to create something new. 

Now famished, Ik Jun was relieved when Minister Jung asked Song Hwa where they were going for lunch.  

“Would Minister like to try some Indian food?” Song Hwa asked when the group was walking out to the main street.  “We have made reservations at a restaurant that my mother used to like when we were living in London.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely!” Minister Jung replied with a smile.  “After a week of burgers and pasta, it’s time for something different.”

Ik Jun was hit by a strong smell of spices when he entered the restaurant, smiling politely at the manager who held the glass door open for the group.  Black and white tiles, simple wooden chairs and stripped wooden tables, glass lamps and artwork on the walls, ceiling fans circling lazily above their heads, it reminded him of the many restaurants that he had visited when he was in New Delhi for a work trip the year before.  

Seated at a table in a quiet corner, Minister Jung flipped through the menu and ordered dishes for them to share.  Vegetable samosas, okra fries, onion bhajis for starters, before moving on to the mains - butter and garlic naans, masala prawns, tandoori chicken, seafood curry, chilli broccoli salad, sea bass steamed in banana leaf with mango, lime, and mint, and lamb biryani.  For dessert, Minister Jung and Chi Hong each ordered a boozy lassi - a smooth refreshing drink made of yoghurt, honey and mango, with a shot of rum, and Song Hwa and Ik Jun ordered the passion fruit pudding with coconut sorbet. 

After lunch, Minister Jung asked if there was an art supply shop that they could go to.  She explained that her husband painted in his free time, and he had given her a laundry list of items he wanted her to purchase.  “There is one along Great Russell Street,” Song Hwa told her.  “My father used to go there to get his art supplies too.”  

So off they went to Great Russell Street, to a two-storey building with large windows and a dark green facade.  It was a charming store with black shelves that reached to the ceilings, filled with glass jars of pigment powders, engraving tools, paints, varnishes, canvases and brushes. There were drawers that when opened, revealed little sticks of graphite and charcoal, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and cutting equipment.  

Ik Jun walked around the shop and was fascinated by the things on display - a resin called dragon’s blood from the island of Socotra, a light-brownish substance called rabbit skin glue, and displayed behind a counter were gold leaves and other precious metals such as platinum and palladium.  The store also had a workshop at the back that was filled with canvases, and a basement that stored an extensive range of artists’ papers.  

Seeing that everyone was busy - Minister Jung was asking the storekeeper about  some items on her list, Song Hwa was picking out little tubes of paint, and Chi Hong was looking at boxes of colour pencils - Ik Jun headed out of the store to take a quick look around the neighbouring shops.  To his delight, just two doors away was a shop selling fountain pens.  

A bell tinkled when Ik Jun entered.  Then, accompanied by the smell of leather and the soft sounds of an Italian opera, he explored the shop, admiring the hand-stitched leather bound journals, quills, ink bottles, and sealing wax displayed on the dark wood shelves.  

Should I get something for myself?   

Ik Jun wandered around the glass cabinets at the back of the shop which housed rows of expensive-looking fountain pens.  He smiled when he saw the pen that Bong’s wife had given to him for his birthday.  Then when his eyes drifted to a section of pens made by a leading British pen manufacturer, a burgundy pen with silver fittings caught Ik Jun’s attention.  He asked the storekeeper if he could take a look and when she gave it to him, he was pleased by how comfortably it fit his hand and how smooth it felt when he wrote his name on a piece of paper.  He also liked the intricate design on its silver nib.  Taking a glance at the small white slip on its clip, Ik Jun was taken aback by its cost.  The shopkeeper must have caught the expression on his face as she quickly told Ik Jun that there was a cheaper rollerball version of the pen. 

Do I really need another pen, Ik Jun wondered as he drew circles next to his name.  I already have four boxes of them at home.  Maybe I should just get a journal.  The one with the tobacco cover is quite nice.

Later, when Ik Jun was standing in front of the shop taking a final look at pens displayed at the front window, he saw a matching pair of fountain pens.  He recognised them immediately, limited edition pens by another leading British pen manufacturer.  The indigo one was slightly larger than the one in azure, but they both had the same sterling silver fittings.  Couple pens, he sniggered before tilting his head to look at the price.  Who would buy them?  They are gorgeous but so expensive!

“What are you looking at?” 

Ik Jun was startled when he heard a voice and a head suddenly appeared next to him in the reflection on the window.

“You scared me!” he said, taking a step back and seeing an amused Song Hwa.

Then, looking at the brown package in his hand, she asked, “You bought something?” 

Without answering her question, Ik Jun stuffed the package into his bag and said, “Minister is ready to go?” 

Song Hwa nodded and said, “Chi Hong has called the driver and the van should be here soon.”

——————————————-

Spring 2021

On flight home from London.  

Trip went well.  M is happy.  

Best thing, however, is the burgundy pen that I am now writing with, in my new journal!  Look how it glides effortlessly over the paper.  The owner is right, this journal works best with my pen.  The paper is thin, yet there is little feathering or bleedthrough, if at all.  I should get a couple more of them next time, they are just the right size for me to bring around on my trips.  

Decided to splurge on the pen as an early birthday present for me!  Since I have been summoned back to Changwon for my birthday this year, and won’t be able to go on my usual birthday trip to some far-flung land. 

Dinner ended late last night, which is why I can only play with my new toys now.  

M wanted to have dinner at some tavern.  It was definitely not a tavern.  Not the tavern I had in mind anyway.  The “tavern” had chandeliers, a very high ceiling, amber-illuminated shelves of alcohol, and an extensive collection of what looked like very expensive art and photographs.  The food was great, and CH told me afterwards that the chef is Michelin-starred.  Luckily M told us to dress up. 

M is surprisingly easy to travel with.  Laughs a lot, has no airs.  Even her security officers found her charming.  Surprised she didn’t ask to go shopping.  Thought she would spend the last day in Oxford Street instead of gallivanting around the neighbourhood that SH suggested.

Talking about SH, she has a lot of stationery.  A LOT.  I saw them when I walked past her seat during the meeting with the Secretary for International Trade.  I brought a grand total of two pens along with me on this trip, and a few cartridges.  She, on the other hand, has an entire pencil case of pens.  In all colours!  

She also has a lot of scotch tape with different designs - trees, flowers, animals, colourful wavy lines, polka dots.  Why does she need so much tape?  What does she use them on?  Does she spend her free time ripping paper so she can mend them with her fancy tape?

Chapter Text

“Yah, are you all just going to lie there the entire night?” 

Jun Wan slammed shut the refrigerator door and with his hands on his hips, glared at his friends who were strewn all over his living room.

“I’m too full to play poker.  I can still feel the samgyeopsal mixing with the kimchi bokkeumbap in my stomach,” Ik Jun replied from the sofa where he was lying, playing a game on his phone.  “Plus I’m still jet lagged.”

“You have been back for a week!”

“But my mind and body still think I’m in London,” Ik Jun replied, his eyes fixed on his phone.  

Jun Wan walked over to Jeong Won and Seok Hyeong who were lying on the floor surrounded by cushions.  Nudging them with his foot, Jun Wan asked, “What about the two of you?  I’ve already set the table up!” 

“I’m too tired,” Jeong Won replied with his eyes closed.  “The twins kept us up the entire night.  It’s a miracle Gyeoul allowed me to come over, since the boys are still sniffly.”

“Yah, you guys have a full-time nanny,” Seok Hyeong said.

“So do you,” Jeong Won said.  “But I’m sure when your kids get sick, you don’t get very much sleep either.”

“True,” Seok Hyeong replied, reaching for his can of beer on the table before propping himself up to take a sip.

“Yah, Kim Jun Wan, stop glaring at us and bring the drinks and snacks over,” Ik Jun said, lifting his eyes from his game just long enough to glance at his friend.  

Cursing loudly, Jun Wan walked over to the dining table, picked up the packets of snacks and fired them at his friends, ignoring their howls and yelps.  Then, he picked up the tray of bottles, cans, glasses and an ice bucket and returned to the living room.

“Yah, why did you buy marshmallows?” Ik Jun asked, looking at the two big bags that had been thrown at him.

“Ask Ahn Jeong Won,” Jun Wan replied, placing the tray on the coffee table with a loud plonk before taking a seat on the floor next to Seok Hyeong.  “He is the one who brought them.”

“I bought them for the boys but Gyeoul was furious when she found out.” Jeong Won explained, sifting through the bags of chips before tearing open one of them.  “So I told her I’ll bring them here.”

“Two whole bags?” Ik Jun asked, tilting his head to look at Jeong Won.

“They were on sale.  One-for-one.”

“That explains everything,” Jun Wan said with a snigger, taking a swig of his beer.

“Yah, Lee Ik Jun.”

“What, Yang Seok Hyeong.”

“Why did SG call you to his office yesterday evening?  He looked serious.”

Pausing his game, Ik Jun got up from the sofa with a groan and knelt in front of the coffee table.  As he was pouring himself a whiskey, he told his friends about the conversation that Minister had with SG about manpower deployment.  According to SG, Minister had been reviewing the teams involved in trade negotiations and had been surprised to learn that Ik Jun and Chi Hong would usually attend the same negotiations.  

Returning to the sofa with his drink, Ik Jun told his friends how, after having assessed Chi Hong in London, Minister was of the view that it was time for him to lead some of the more straightforward negotiations rather than simply assisting Ik Jun.  And so, SG had told Ik Jun that Chi Hong would not be joining him for the remaining introductory trips that Minister would be making so that he could focus on the upcoming negotiations with the Australians.  Instead, Minister had suggested assigning a few of the junior officers on some of the trips, saying that it would be good training and exposure for them.

“This sounds like a great opportunity for Chi Hong,” Jeong Won said. 

“It is,” Ik Jun replied, reaching over to grab some crisps from the packet in Jeong Won’s hand.  “I’ve been telling SG for years that it’s time for him to take on more responsibilities.”

“Does this mean that for some of Minister’s trips, it may just be you and Song Hwa?” Seok Hyeong asked.

“It would seem so,” Ik Jun said, stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth.  “The horror.”

“I still don’t understand why you don’t like her,” Jun Wan said, opening a packet of salted peanuts.  “We have a lot of fun with her when you are not around.”

“Don’t you think we are like children of divorced parents?” Seok Hyeong said with a chuckle.  “We can only meet up with one parent when the other is away.”

“Right?” Jun Wan said.  “Poor Song Hwa.”

“How is she ‘poor Song Hwa'?  I see her laughing with Bong and Han Yang all the time.  And she has lunch with her team and the interns too,” Ik Jun retorted.  “Don’t pin this on me, ok?  I have never stopped you guys from asking her to join us.”

“That’s such a lie,” Jeong Won said, giving Ik Jun a side eye.  “Anyway, I doubt she’d want to be anywhere near you.  You are always ignoring her or yelling at her.” 

“Yah, I have literally never done that,” Ik Jun said defensively, throwing a cushion at Jeong Won.  “I’ve always been professional.  And polite.”

Jun Wan shook his head and sniggered loudly.  “Lee Ik Jun,” he said, with a smirk. “One day, your oblivion will bite you on your ass.”

——————————————-

Is it only Tuesday?  I feel like I have fought so many battles already.

Song Hwa sat in Jangmi, trying her best to understand the rationale behind the proposal tabled by Ik Jun’s team.  Apparently his team felt that her officers should be the ones putting together the notes to update Minister on the status of the different negotiations.

It didn’t make sense, she told the meeting, consisting of SG, Deputy SG and Lee Ik Jun- sshi, who was seated directly opposite her.  The department that had the domain knowledge should be the one drafting the notes, she argued, pointing out that some of the technical terms, statistics and data were too specialized for a non-expert to understand. 

“But it’s logical,” Ik Jun protested.  “The negotiation team would already have drafted a report of the negotiation proceedings.  Your officers will only need to distill the critical updates from the report and keep Minister informed.  It’s the most expedient and efficient approach.”

“Yes, I agree it would be most expedient, Lee Ik Jun-sshi, if we were subject matter experts or if we had been there for the negotiations,” Song Hwa countered.  She leaned forward and as she was crossing her legs, she left the tip of her right shoe grazing an object.  She took a peek and realised that it was Ik Jun’s shin.  Mumbling a quick apology, she adjusted herself in her seat before continuing.

“So,” Song Hwa said, her tone now terse, “while we may understand, for instance, the terms and implementation of an Early Harvest Programme, we will not know why the negotiators agreed to consider granting Country X a 0.12% tariff while Country Y gets 0%.  The context and background as to why the negotiation team made such an offer and the nuancing of the agreed terms are critical.”

“I understand where you are coming from, Chae Song Hwa-sshi,” Ik Jun replied with his cheeks flushed and his voice slightly raised.  “But like I have explained earlier, we would already have written the report.  Your officers will only need to pick out the important parts to tell Minister.”

“And like I said before, Lee Ik Jun- sshi , I don’t see the update to Minister as just an abridged version of the report,” Song Hwa said, trying her best not to sigh or roll her eyes.  Why on earth is he incapable of understanding such a simple point?  Didn’t he graduate top of his class in law school?   “We need background, context, and nuancing - which only the negotiation team can provide.”

“Also, what if Minister has questions?” Song Hwa asked.  “Will my officers be the ones conveying her questions to you, and later, convey your replies to Minister?  That makes no sense.  The Minister’s Office will not function as a postbox under my watch.”

“Ok, ok, ok,” SG jumped in quickly before the tension in between his two officers increased any further.   “Both of you have made excellent points, and this is what I want you to do.  Ik Jun, the reports that your team puts up will have to be more detailed.  I agree with Song Hwa, context and nuancing are important.  I want them included in all your reports.”

“And Song Hwa,” he said, turning to look at her.  “Your team will draft the report to Minister based on Ik Jun’s detailed report.  I agree that the Minister’s Office should not be a postbox, so if there is anything lacking in Ik Jun’s report, or any additional information you need, get it from Ik Jun’s team.  Questions-wise, your team will convey them to Ik Jun, but any follow up from there will be taken over by his team.  They will copy you in their reply to Minister so that you will be kept in the loop.”

Upset by SG’s instructions, Ik Jun and Song Hwa began to protest, each raising his voice to drown out the other’s.

“No, no,” SG said, shaking his head.  “I don’t want to hear any more arguments about this.  I have already made up my mind and this is how we will proceed from now on.  You are two of the most senior officers in this Ministry.  I expect you to work together.  Do I make myself clear?”  Chastised, Ik Jun and Song Hwa knew from the tone of SG’s voice that there was no room for further discussion, so they mumbled their agreement, avoiding each other’s eyes.  

When the meeting ended an hour later, Ik Jun and Song Hwa rose to their feet, bowing as SG and Deputy SG made their way out of the room.  Then, without a glance at Song Hwa, Ik Jun tucked his burgundy fountain pen in his left jacket pocket, picked up his file and stormed out.

“Yah, Lee Ik Jun,” Jun Wan said, dropping the two unopened bags of marshmallows from their earlier poker-turned-drinking-cum-snacking-night on the meeting table in Ik Jun’s office.  “Aren’t you going home yet?”

“Not yet,” Ik Jun said, staring at his computer.  “I have a ton of work to clear before I fly.”

“I heard you and Song Hwa were scolded by SG this morning,” Jeong Won said, sitting on the round meeting table.  “Is that true?”

“Really?” Seok Hyeong asked, taking a seat on the chair next to Jeong Won.  “You fought again?”

“This time it’s really her fault!” Ik Jun said, lifting his eyes from his computer screen just long enough to roll his eyes at his friends. 

“Sure, whatever,” Jun Wan said, opening one of the bags of marshmallows.  “Here, have a marshmallow,” he said, throwing two individually wrapped pieces of the candy at Ik Jun.  “Maybe some sugar will make you feel better.”

With his friends in his office asking him about his birthday celebration in Changwon, Ik Jun’s mood eventually lifted.  He told them about the feast that his mother had cooked up, including his favourite japchae and a most delicious seaweed soup.  His sister also brought along a rice cake and a ton of alcohol.  

“Too bad you couldn’t join us,” Ik Jun said, looking at Jun Wan.  “The whiskey she brought was excellent.” 

“I know,” Jun Wan said, opening another marshmallow.  “I was the one who told her to get that bottle.”

“How many of these do you think we can stuff in our mouths at one time?” Jeong Won suddenly asked, squishing a pink marshmallow between his fingers.  “Ten?  Twenty?”

“I’m sure I can do more than Kim Jun Wan,” Ik Jun said, picking one up for a closer examination.

“No way,” Seok Hyeong said, shaking his head.  “My money is on Jun Wan.”

“Mine too,” Jeong Won said.

“Yah,” Jun Wan said, looking at Ik Jun with a smirk.  “You dare to take me on?”

“Of course,” Ik Jun replied, taking off his jacket and rolling up his shirt sleeves.  “Loser will buy dinner and drinks at our next poker night.”

“You’re on.”

There was a frenzy of activity in Ik Jun’s office the moment Jeong Won yelled, “Begin!”  Grabbing fistfuls of marshmallows from the bags, the Changwon boys unwrapped the candy and stuffed them in their mouths as quickly as they could.  They had different strategies though. Jun Wan was methodical, packing the candy as tightly as possible at the back of his mouth before making his way to the front.  Ik Jun, on the other hand, was unwrapping a few pieces at a time before stuffing them haphazardly in his mouth.

Engrossed in the competition, the four boys were oblivious to the on-goings outside Ik Jun’s office, until — 

“Lee Ik Jun-sshi?”

Ik Jun froze when he heard his name.  He looked up at his door and there she was, the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador.  

“I see you are occupied,” Song Hwa said, her eyes piercing into Ik Jun’s.  Her voice was calm; her face, inscrutable. 

“Ghudjekjfherj,” Ik Jun said as eloquently as he could with his mouth full.  “Adkernrbjensutjdi.”

“I have sent you some questions on the London trip report,” she continued, without giving any hint of what she thought about the situation before her.  “When you have some time, I would be most grateful if you could answer them.”

Then, with a smile and polite nod to the other boys in the room, Song Hwa turned and walked out of Ik Jun’s office, missing the brawl that took place immediately between Ik Jun and Jun Wan, when the former blamed the latter for making him look like a fool in front of the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador.  

Back in her office, Song Hwa shut her door and clicked on the button that turned her glass walls opaque.  Then as Ik Jun’s face flashed through her mind, reminding her of a chipmunk hoarding food in its cheeks, she collapsed in her chair, and burst into unrestrained laughter. 

——————————————-

The next time Ik Jun looked up from his computer, it was already eight-thirty in the evening.  He had finished going through the proposed itinerary for Minister’s upcoming trip to the US and had sent Ji Hoon suggestions on members of the Administration whom Minister should meet.  Next on his plate was a document on foreign direct investment that he needed to review.  But first, another coffee.

Ik Jun opened his door and found the office enveloped in darkness, save for the bright lights coming from the pantry.  He walked out of his office, taking care not to kick the bins on the sides of the cubicles.  Then, as he was about to reach the doors that opened to the lift lobby, he heard the soft strains of a well-known Christmas carol.  

O Holy Night?  

Ik Jun was baffled.  It was strange to hear a Christmas song so soon after his birthday.  He looked around the rows of cubicles and glass-walled offices and noticed that the lights in one of the offices were on.  It was his old office, Ik Jun realised.  Although the glass walls had been turned opaque, the door was ajar, allowing him to see Song Hwa at his former desk, her head buried in piles of documents.   

Christmas songs in the middle of May?  The daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador sure is odd. 

It was late at night when Song Hwa finally sent the report to Minister.  As she stood at her table giving her body a good long stretch, she felt a familiar dull ache in her upper abdomen.  She wondered why her stomach was giving her trouble, especially since she had eaten two rolls of gimbap for dinner earlier.  

Maybe I ate too quickly. 

Now that the report was out, Song Hwa was feeling a lot more relaxed and in need of a drink.  Walking out of her office, she realised that everyone had left for the day.  Entering the pantry, she opened the cabinets, examining the snacks available - cup noodles, biscuits, chocolate and some honey oat and almond muesli bars.  She took one of the muesli bars before going to the vending machine to get a cup of hot coffee.  

With her refreshments in hand, Song Hwa was about to return to her office when she decided that she needed some air.  After all, she had been cooped up in her office the entire day working on the report that Lee Ik Jun-sshi had refused to draft.  It would be nice to take a break outside. 

And so, Song Hwa walked to the door next to Ik Jun’s office, opened it, and climbed the three flights of stairs to the rooftop garden. 

The last time Song Hwa was here was on her first day of work, when Seon Bin showed her around the office.  Taking a seat on one of the wooden benches, she recalled how charmed she was by this little oasis that had trees with semi-arching branches that provided excellent shade during the day.  The gardeners had also done a wonderful job of planting a variety of colourful flowers that brightened up the space. 

Seon Bin had told her that once in a while, SG would throw barbecue parties for the staff here in the garden. He was a very generous host, handing his credit card to the organising committee without giving them a budget, Seon Bin had said with a laugh.    

Song Hwa sat on the bench, munching her muesli bar and enjoying the cool night breeze.  She glanced at the surrounding buildings, looking into brightly lit offices that were still buzzing with activity.  Guess I’m not the only one working overtime, she thought, taking a sip of her coffee.  Her mind soon drifted to the meetings that she had tomorrow, and planned to use the little pockets of time in between them to go through some of the reports that were awaiting her approval.

When she finished her snack and drink, Song Hwa walked to the nearest bin to throw away her empty cup and wrapper.  She was about to walk away when she heard a soft sigh.

Is someone here?

Song Hwa looked around her, but save for the lizards lazing on some rocks near the barbecue pits, the place was empty.  She decided to investigate, treading softly so as not to startle whoever it was.  She was about to reach the other side of the garden when she spotted a man. 

Lee Ik Jun-sshi?

There, in the darkest corner of the garden, away from the nearest garden lamp, was the man who had been bickering with her the entire week.  Using his jacket as a pillow, he was lying on the bench with his feet dangling, and in his hands was a pair of binoculars.  Instinctively, Song Hwa turned her head to look in the same direction as his binoculars.  But try as she might, she saw nothing, just a dark sky, devoid of moon and stars.

What is he looking at, Song Hwa wondered, taking a few steps to her right before straining her neck for another look.  Still nothing.  She would love to find out, but approaching Lee Ik Jun-sshi was out of the question.  After their acrimonious exchanges the past week, she was sure the last thing he wanted to do was to talk to her.  

Just then, Song Hwa heard another sigh from Ik Jun.  Aware of how awkward it might be if he caught her gawking at him, Song Hwa took one last look at the man with his binoculars, one final glance at the heavens, then she turned and quietly walked away. 

Chapter Text

Song Hwa was beginning to understand why Lee Ik Jun-sshi was grumpy all the time.  Battling jet lag while attending meetings and state dinners, smiling and making intelligent conversations, flying at odd hours, typing reports on trains, returning to the hotel room after a long day to clear emails before trying desperately to calm an overstimulated mind in order to get some rest.  

I would be grumpy too if I had to do this as often as him. 

Seated at a table overlooking the lake in Central Park, Song Hwa smiled and thanked the waiter as he placed a cup of coffee in front of her. It was half past six in the evening and the sun was still high up in the sky. The wonders of summer , Song Hwa thought, as she reached for the cup and took a sip, watching the scene before her.  Clouds in ever-changing patterns, the skyline of Manhattan city, tall lush trees encircling the lake which was teeming with small green and white rowboats. There were also children steering radio-powered boats across the glassy surface of the lake. Judging from the boisterous laughter and the occasional shriek, it was clear that everyone was enjoying themselves. 

In the distance, far away from the rowboats, was a gondola propelled by a gondolier in a red and white striped shirt and a straw boater hat. His customers, a young caucasian couple dressed in matching purple hats and dark sunglasses, were reclining on the brown cushioned seats with wine glasses in their hands.  Song Hwa had been on the gondola once many years ago when she was a senior in college. Her then boyfriend had surprised her with a ride to celebrate the end of her final exams. She remembered what a beautiful day it was. Like today, the sun was warm, the breeze was gentle, and the birds were singing the songs of summer. Her boyfriend had packed a picnic basket too - fried chicken, ham and tomato sandwiches, strawberries and a chilled bottle of champagne. She had a great time that afternoon, eating and giggling with her boyfriend while the gondolier told them little known stories of Central Park.  

Song Hwa leaned back in her chair and watched a group of tourists join the snaking queue for the rental of rowboats. One of them, a lady in a loud yellow T-shirt, was gesticulating wildly to her male companion who was trying desperately to calm her down, offering her a bottle of water and opening an umbrella to shield her from the sun. 

It has been a few months since Song Hwa started work at the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs and the learning curve has been steep. Getting to know her bosses and colleagues, learning to navigate the bureaucracy, and getting used to the intensity of work trips with Minister. Like the current one where they have had to meet four US Secretaries for high-level discussions before traversing the entire US to visit ten Korean consulates. It would have been twelve if they had stuck to the original plan of visiting the consulates in Guam and Anchorage.  However, the day before they were supposed to leave for Guam, the Korean Ambassador to the US informed them that the visit to the two remaining consulates had to be deferred.  Only Minister was privy to the reason for the postponement, but Song Hwa was sure it was a serious one, as Minister’s demeanor had turned grim after Ambassador’s quiet word with her.  

There was a silver lining though. The change in schedule gave the delegation a weekend free before their flight home on Monday morning.

Thus, when the official schedule in New York ended at noon on Friday, Minister informed Song Hwa and Ik Jun that she would be spending the weekend in Boston with her son and his family.  She invited Song Hwa along, but the latter politely declined, assuring Minister that she was more than happy to spend two and a half days in New York. 

After bidding Minister farewell at the hotel lobby, Song Hwa was about to ask the delegation if they wanted to hang out together when Seon Bin informed Song Hwa and Ik Jun that the junior members of the delegation had decided to spend the next two days shopping.  “We have so much to buy and so little time!” Seon Bin exclaimed while the rest were busy on their handphones plotting the best route to hit all the major department stores. Song Hwa wished them the best of luck and the little shopping troop waved a hasty goodbye before racing out of the hotel. 

Seeing that they were the only ones left, Song Hwa felt obligated to offer to bring Ik Jun around New York; after all, she had lived here most of her adult life.  She did not have to though, as just then, Ik Jun approached her to tell her that he had plans.  He seemed to be in a rush, taking off his jacket and his tie while talking to her.  

“I will be back by late Sunday afternoon,” Ik Jun said as he chucked his tie into his bag and began rolling up his sleeves. “In time for our dinner with Minister.” Then he gave her a quick nod and hurried away to the concierge. 

Delighted that she had suddenly been given two days of freedom, Song Hwa went about making plans - drinks with her college friends at a swanky new wine bar, dinner at Chelsea with her former colleagues, one afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and another at the Richard Rodgers Theatre to watch the award-winning musical, Hamilton.   She did not envisage having much time left to go shopping, but she must at least go to the bookstore on 12th Street and the huge Harry Potter store along Broadway to buy gifts for her nephews and nieces. 

As she sat at the table enjoying her coffee, Song Hwa took her phone out of her handbag and smiled as she scrolled through the photos she had taken with her friends at the wine bar. It was amazing how, although everyone had grown up and were now respectable members of society, they still behaved like rowdy college kids whenever they were together.  

“You’re here.” 

Song Hwa heard a voice next to her and looked up from her phone.  

It was Lee Ik Jun-sshi, not in his usual suit and tie, but in a white polo T-shirt, blue jeans and a beige summer jacket. He nodded at Song Hwa and took the seat opposite her. 

“Yes,” Song Hwa replied with a smile. “I was in the area and got here early to grab a drink.”

“Did you get Minister’s message?” Ik Jun said, placing his dark leather messenger bag on the seat next to him.  “She is going to be late.”  

Song Hwa nodded, taking a sip of her third cup of coffee which had turned lukewarm.  

“I wonder why PM needed to speak to her so early in the morning.  I hope everything is ok back home,” she replied. “You want a drink?”

“I’ll get a black coffee,” Ik Jun said, looking around the restaurant before waving a waiter over.  

So they sat drinking their coffees, making conversation about the trip thus far and the reports they had to put up once they returned to Seoul.  However, their chat came to a natural end and instead of looking awkwardly at each other till Minister arrived, Song Hwa returned to her handphone and Ik Jun took out a tobacco-coloured leather notebook from his bag.  She glanced at him ever so often, wondering what he could be writing about.  He looked thoughtful, yet at the same time, seemed to be smiling to himself. She was sure it was not work-related though as Lee Ik Jun-sshi only used yellow legal pads for work.  

And so, the two of them remained in their own worlds until Ik Jun eventually broke the silence.

“Look,” he said with such gentleness that Song Hwa looked up from her phone.  “It’s raining.”

True enough, the drizzle, which started out slight, had now turned into thick sheets of rain. There was a frenzy of activity as parents rushed their children to shelter and on the lake, rowers paddled frantically back to shore, trying their best to avoid colliding into other boats.  The passengers on the boats used bags, hats and even life jackets to prevent themselves from getting soaked. Unfortunately, given the intensity of the shower, their efforts would likely come to naught.      

“I hope Seon Bin and the rest didn’t get caught in the rain,” Song Hwa said.  “She messaged me last night to say that they had done enough shopping and were going to Coney Island today.”

“I bumped into them when I was leaving the hotel just now,” Ik Jun said, gazing out at the lake while twirling his fountain pen.  “They were on their way to Times Square for dinner.”

Just then, Song Hwa’s phone rang. She glanced at the name of the caller and said, “It’s Minister.”

In short, PM needed Minister to get something sorted out before 10am Korean time, Song Hwa told Ik Jun when the very short call ended.  Because of that, Minister would not be able to meet them for dinner after all. 

“Since Minister is not coming, shall we go back to the hotel then?” Ik Jun asked, tucking his fountain pen into his jacket and putting his notebook into his bag.  “We can just get room service. We’ll have more time to clear our emails and pack our luggage.”  

“I think I will grab a bite here,” Song Hwa said, looking at her watch. It was almost eight.  “My stomach is feeling a bit off.”

“You’re not well?” Ik Jun asked, glancing over at her.

“I’m fine,” Song Hwa replied with a quick smile. “I have an attention-seeking stomach that acts up from time to time.  I’ll be ok once I have something to eat.”  

“No worries, Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” she continued, reaching for the menu next to her.  “I’ll make my way back to the hotel once I’m done.  I’ll see you at check out tomorrow morning.”

“You sure you’ll be ok?”

“I’m sure,” Song Hwa said. “Have a good evening, Lee Ik Jun-sshi, ”

“Ok,” Ik Jun said. He stood up and slung his bag over his right shoulder.  “See you tomorrow, Chae Song Hwa-sshi. ”

After Ik Jun left the table, Song Hwa picked up her handbag and rummaged through it hoping, against the odds, to find some antacids.  Unfortunately, there weren't any.  So she sighed and flipped through the pages of the menu looking for something warm and easy to digest. I really should have listened to my gut and not drink that last cup of coffee, Song Hwa thought.  

As Song Hwa was trying to decide if she should have the minestrone soup or the cream of mushroom, she sensed someone approaching her table.  She looked up and was surprised to see Ik Jun .

“Did you forget something?” Song Hwa asked. 

“I’ve changed my mind,” Ik Jun said, returning to the seat opposite her.  “I’ll have dinner here too.”

“Lee Ik Jun-sshi, you really don’t have to —” 

“This is not about you, Chae Song Hwa-sshi ,” Ik Jun said, placing his bag on the empty chair next to him. “I caught a whiff of truffle fries on the way out and they smell heavenly.”   

Dinner was awkward to say the least.  

Song Hwa ordered the mushroom soup and Ik Jun, after reading the menu, changed his mind about the truffle fries and ordered a crab and cherry tomato fettuccine instead. 

At first, Song Hwa tried to make conversation.  As she swept the little parsley flakes to the side of her bowl, she talked about what she did over the weekend, waiting for Ik Jun to comment or ask questions along the way.  He never did.  

Still hoping to draw him into a conversation, Song Hwa asked Ik Jun how he spent the past two days.  Ik Jun mumbled something about going for a hike in some park, while retrieving his napkin which had fallen to the ground. Upon hearing his vague answer, Song Hwa decided it was probably better for everyone if they just talked about work.  So she steered the conversation in that direction, asking Ik Jun about the status of one of his negotiations.  The change in topic clearly made Ik Jun more comfortable, as he finally spoke, telling her the difficulties he faced.  It was not just the uncompromising stance of the other party, he said, the team faced basic problems like communication as the negotiators did not share a single language, forcing them to negotiate complex technical clauses via an interpreter.  

Despite the discomfort at dinner, the walk back to the hotel was surprisingly pleasant.  By then, the rain had slowed to the barest of drizzles and a gentle breeze accompanied Song Hwa and Ik Jun as they made their way to the main gates of Central Park.  Perhaps cheered by the fact that they were returning home the next day, Ik Jun appeared to be in fairly good spirits.  He offered an umbrella to Song Hwa, warned her about a puddle, and even told her a very short story about how, in the 19th century, the paths in Central Park were designed to be curved so that New Yorkers could not race their horses and carriages.  

——————————————-

Summer 2021 (Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory / Tupper Lake / New York)

The stars aligned!   

All thanks to M of course, but also the wonderful concierge who not only got me a car but also a little log cabin overseeing the lake.  The drive up was not as painful as anticipated - only two rest stops, had two hotdogs at the first. Dropped my bag off at the cabin before a quick dinner at the bistro on main street.  Then I was off to the observatory!

The sky was wonderfully dark that night, and clear.  The telescopes at the roll off roof observatory were fantastic.  Two delightfully passionate guides showed the few of us around the night sky. I saw the moon of course, accompanied by a billion stars, and also a galaxy (!!!), the rings of Saturn (!), Jupiter, and a dwarf planet.  Milky Way came into view much later in the night.  I have seen it before but it is still spectacular and I am still in awe. 

One of the guides was quite the storyteller, punctuating astronomy facts with stories about the constellations.  She told one about the Milky Way too.  I know some of the MW-related myths - the Chinese one about the cowherd and the weaver girl, the Greek/Roman one about Hercules the infant who suckled on Hera’s milk, and the Cherokee one about the dog that ran away with stolen cornmeal. This is the first time I learnt that there is also an African myth - a lonely girl, who wanted to meet other people, danced around the fire one evening and threw glowing embers into the night sky, creating the MW.  Interesting.

Spent Saturday exploring the area around the lake - took a hike up Coney Mountain in the morning and hung out at Little Wolf Beach in the late afternoon. The trail that gently meandered up Coney had gorgeous views of both the lake and the mountain, though there were quite a bit of roots and rocks to navigate. Oh, and bugs too.  I quite liked the beach.  I couldn’t swim cos I didn’t have my swimwear with me, but a day at the beach, basking in the sun, is always great.  

Owner of my cabin said that there were a number of breweries in the area.  Had my car with me so I wasn’t able to visit any of them.  He also said that stargazing at Coney was quite an experience.  Apparently the high elevation and the fact that one will be even deeper into the adirondack forest (ie. even darker skies) make it easier to spot shooting stars. Maybe next time.

It was a shame M couldn’t make it to dinner earlier tonight.  Food at the restaurant was delectable, no wonder Ambassador recommended it.  Pity SH could only drink soup; she looked like she wanted to eat my strawberry shortcake. I wonder what ails her.  Argh, actually, who cares, as long as she turns up at check out punctually tomorrow.  

Having travelled with her, I have come to realise that although she’s very competent at her job, she can be quite absent-minded/distracted.  Like the time in London when she left her phone at the tavern and the waiter had to run after us with it.  Or just now, she would have walked into the muddy puddle and ruined her shoes if I hadn’t stopped her. All because she was gaping at the white horse and waving at the coachman. Wouldn’t she have seen enough of these horse-drawn carriages during her earlier years in New York?

Also, she seemed surprised that I had an umbrella with me. Had to tell her that it is our responsibility to ensure that we have things like umbrellas, stationery and bottled water with us at all times whenever we travel with M. Don’t think she was even listening to me. She was too busy looking at the sky and her outstretched hand to see if it was still raining. 

Sigh.

Chapter Text

Where has Jae Hwan gone again? Ik Jun muttered to himself as he placed the handset back in the cradle of the phone set.  Actually, that was a rhetorical question, he knew exactly where she was; where she always was - assisting the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador.  It was like Jae Hwan was her PA, and he was the inconvenient secondary character whom Jae Hwan helped from time to time.  Was he expected to photocopy his own documents now?  Or draw files from the registry himself? Or worse, manage his own calendar?  It was ridiculous really. Almost five months at the Ministry and the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador still hadn’t hired her own PA?

Ik Jun got up from his seat and walked to his door.  Standing there with his hands on his hips, he looked out at the rows of cubicles trying to spot his PA.  Just then, Hong Do walked past him with a stack of files piled so high that it looked like it was about to topple.

“Jang Hong Do,” Ik Jun said, his eyes still scanning the office.

“Yes, Chief?” Hong Do replied, stopping so abruptly that the files at the top of the stack almost slid off.

“Have you seen Jae Hwan?”

“Yes, I just saw her in the photocopying room,” Hong Do said, with a slight smile.  “Is there anything I can help you with, Chief?”

“No, it’s fine,” Ik Jun said grimly.  Then, without another glance at Hong Do, he walked out of his office and made his way to Song Hwa’s. 

Ik Jun announced his arrival with two sharp raps on her door which appeared to startle Song Hwa as she lifted her head in surprise.  

“Yes, Lee Ik —”

“When are you going to get your own PA, Chae Song Hwa-sshi?” he asked.  

Ik Jun stood at the door looking at Song Hwa with his arms folded and his brows furrowed.  

“I have been interviewing —”

“Shouldn’t you have found one by now, Chae Song Hwa-sshi?  It has been almost half a year,” he said, his exasperation audible. “I’m sure with your excellent memory you’ll recall that SG said that you should hire your own as soon as possible!” 

Song Hwa stood up from her seat and flashed him a most courteous smile. 

“Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” she said, sounding as though she was talking to a kindergartener. “I have been interviewing, but I’m sure you know as well as I do that it is not easy to find one with the right experience and personality.  It doesn’t help that I have been out of the country so often.”

As Ik Jun was about to retort, Song Hwa raised her hand to stop him before saying, “I am as uncomfortable about this arrangement as you are.  But don’t worry, Lee Ik Jun-sshi, for you, I’ll make this my top priority, above everything on my plate right now. I’ll make sure you get your PA back in the shortest time possible.”

“Now, if you’d excuse me, Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” she continued, giving him another bright smile before sitting back in her chair. “I actually have work to do.”

Ik Jun threw a scathing glance in her direction and was about to give his best robust response when he saw that Song Hwa had already turned her attention to the computer screen in front of her.  So, he turned and stomped his way back to his office.

“Lee Ik Jun!” Jnn Wan called out as he and Jeong Won strolled into Ik Jun’s office. “Lunch!”

“Where?” Ik Jun asked, his eyes still on his computer screen. 

“Song Hwa told us about a buldak place that has opened two blocks away,” Jeong Won said, taking a seat opposite Ik Jun. “But we may have to leave the office slightly earlier.  She said that if we get there too late, we may have to queue for forty-five minutes to an hour.”

“Buldak? Should she be eating spicy food?” Ik Jun asked, finally peeling his eyes away from his screen to look at his friends.

“What are you talking about?” Jun Wan replied, taking a seat on the meeting table.  “She’s the one who suggested it. So, ok?”

“Me? No, thank you.”

“Yah, stop being a child,” Jun Wan said, swinging his legs. “You like buldak, and I’m sure you can get a less spicy version. Plus if there are more of us, we can order more food.”

“First of all, you know how much I hate queuing for food. There is no food, absolutely no food, that is worth a forty-five minute wait,” Ik Jun said, rolling his eyes.  “But more importantly, do you know how many meals I had with her in New York?”

“Come with us,” Jeong Won said in a conciliatory tone.  “You can take the seat furthest away from her. And we can go to the coffee place that you like on the way back.”

“Nope.”

“Fine, your loss,” Jun Wan said, hopping off the table and making his way to the door. “Enjoy your cup noodles!”

Ik Jun leaned back in his office chair and yawned.  Taking off his glasses, he tossed them on top of files before closing his eyes.  The next round of talks with the European Union was coming up and judging from the emails exchange he had with his counterparts in Brussels, it was going to be a bloodbath.  Is there anything I can do to soften the ground before we arrive, he wondered.  So much time and effort had been put into the earlier rounds and it would be a pity if the agreement fell through at this late stage.

With his eyes still closed, Ik Jun swivelled his chair gently, his mind racing through the options available and the possible concessions the team could consider offering.  Then, he heard a familiar sound that made his heart sink.

Chirp. 

Chirp. 

Ik Jun’s eyes snapped open and he bolted upright in his seat.  He took a deep breath before scanning every nook and cranny of his office and then… There it was.  He rose from his chair immediately and made for the door. How on earth did it get in here? And why does this have to happen tonight, his mind screamed.  I have so much to do! 

Ik Jun stood at his door for a while, wondering if he should run to get help or stay and keep his eye on his mortal enemy.  He eventually decided it was better to get rid of it.  There was no way he could work with that thing in his office. 

So Ik Jun walked around the dimly-lit office, praying against the odds that there was someone still around who could help him.  Unfortunately, the cubicles were empty, as were the offices next to his.  But there was an office in the far corner with its lights still on.  His heart sank a second time.  Was she the only one who could help him?

With no other options available, Ik Jun trudged to his former office and the soft strains of O Come, All Ye Faithful greeted him as he neared the office of the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador.  Peeking into her office, he saw that she was at her desk reading a stack of documents while nibbling on a gimbap.  There were small heaps of files and paper strewn on the floor next to her.  Unsure of what he should do, Ik Jun walked past her office and made it all the way to Minister’s office before turning around.  He walked past her office a second time without stopping.  Then a third.  

On his fourth trip (O Little Town of Bethlehem), Ik Jun heard the daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador call out, “Is something the matter, Lee Ik Jun-sshi?” 

Ik Jun stopped in his tracks.  Taking tentative steps toward her door, he stood at the doorway and looked in. The daughter-of-the-retired-ambassador did not acknowledge his presence as her eyes were still glued to the papers in her hands.  Ik Jun stuck his hands in his pockets, stared at his shoes and mumbled, “There is a lizard in my office.” 

“I’m sorry, I cannot hear you, Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” Song Hwa said, placing her half-eaten gimbap on the plastic bag it came in before flipping a page.

“There is a lizard in my office,” Ik Jun said, glancing up at her, his voice low and gruff. 

Song Hwa finally stopped what she was doing and looked at him.  

“A lizard?” 

“A huge one,” Ik Jun said.  “On my meeting table.”

“So? Just leave it alone, it’ll go away,” Song Hwa said, reaching down to pick up one of the files.

“There is a lizard in my office,” Ik Jun said.  His gruff voice had turned tense and despairing.  “I cannot work if there is a lizard in my office,”

Song Hwa leaned back on her chair and asked, “And what do you want me to do, Lee Ik Jun-sshi ?”

“Get rid of it,” Ik Jun said.  “Please, Chae Song Hwa-sshi.”

Song Hwa sat at her desk, tapping her finger gently on her papers, as if considering if she should help him.  Perhaps she is also afraid of lizards, he thought.  Then with a sigh, she wrapped up her gimbap, got up from her seat and grabbed the plastic bag on her desk. She walked over to Ik Jun and said, “Lead the way, Lee Ik Jun-sshi. ”

“Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” Song Hwa called out to Ik Jun who remained steadfastly outside his own office. “Are you sure it’s this one?  It’s only a baby.”  

In the time that Ik Jun was away, the lizard had moved from the meeting table to Ik Jun’s bookshelf, sitting calmly next to one of his books on advanced golf techniques. He watched Song Hwa use the plastic bag to gently pick up the lizard before walking over to show it to him, all the time exclaiming how cute it was. Ik Jun scampered away, fearful that the lizard’s tail would somehow drop on him.   

Ik Jun’s fears were unfounded, thankfully, and the lizard’s tail remained firmly attached to its body throughout the journey to the rooftop garden.  Ik Jun watched Song Hwa place the lizard under a dense bush and they watched it scurry away, eventually disappearing behind a pile of rocks.

“Thank you, Chae Song Hwa-sshi,” Ik Jun said, as they made their way down the flight of stairs.

“You’re most welcome, Lee Ik Jun-sshi. ” 

“Also, erm… nobody knows about this…” Ik Jun mumbled.  “So about tonight… could you… you know…”

Opening the door that led to their office, Song Hwa said with a tinge of playfulness in her voice, “Did something happen tonight? I have no idea what you are talking about, Lee Ik Jun-sshi. I sometimes have difficulty remembering things, especially if they happen at night. ”

Then Song Hwa tossed the plastic bag into a bin and flashed Ik Jun a bright smile before walking away. 

——————————————-

Pulling her knees up to her stomach, Song Hwa scrunched into a little ball beneath her blanket. What time is it, she wondered. She wasn’t sure if she had slept at all.  Her head was groggy and her stomach was still churning. She groaned, straightening her legs to lie on her back. Nope, that felt worse.  It was as if her internal organs were all squished together. 

After tossing and turning for a while, Song Hwa decided to give up on sleeping.  Sitting up in her bed, she reached for the bottle of pills on her nightstand.  She popped two white ones into her mouth, washing them down with a big gulp of water.  She grabbed her pillows and placed them behind her back before reaching beneath her blanket in search of her phone.  When she found it, she realised that it was already five in the evening.  She sent a couple of messages to Seon Bin and Seok Min to find out if the Ministry of Labour had replied to their request for statistics on foreigners working in South Korea for the past ten years.  Seon Bin replied immediately, informing her that Labour were still compiling the data but had promised to reply by the close of business the following day.  

Song Hwa took another sip of water, trying to assess if she was hungry enough for some jjampong. Then she remembered Dr Kim’s instruction to refrain from eating spicy food for the next two weeks. When she saw him last evening about her gastric issues, the grandfatherly doctor explained that it was, without a doubt, stress induced.  He also wanted to admit her for further tests, as he was concerned that her condition, after laying dormant for years, had suddenly returned with a vengeance. 

“I can’t, I have no time,” Song Hwa said, shaking her head.  “There are too many things happening at work, and I have a business trip coming up.”  Upon hearing her excuses, the silver-haired Dr Kim admonished her for having her priorities all wrong, and worse, threatened to inform her parents the next time he played golf with them.  

As a compromise, Song Hwa promised to go for a check-up once there was a lull at work.  She also had to agree to rest at home for three days.  “And this means no report writing, no zoom meetings,” Dr Kim said sternly.  “Do I make myself clear?”

Flinging her blanket aside, Song Hwa got out of bed.  Her PA should be arriving soon with her laptop.  Dr Kim didn’t say anything about not checking emails. Song Hwa smiled as she walked to the bathroom, pleased that she had found a loophole in their agreement.  Anyway, how could she not check her emails for three days?  Her inbox would explode.

Moments later, as Song Hwa was putting on her coat, the doorbell rang.  She trudged out of her bedroom, wondering when the effects of her medicine would kick in.  

When she got to the door, Song Hwa took a deep breath before opening it, saying, “Hi, Jae —”  

She blinked.

“Lee Ik Jun-sshi?” Song Hwa said in surprise.  “What are you doing here?”

“Your laptop,” Ik Jun said, passing the black bag to her.  “I told Jae Hwan it’ll be easier for me to deliver it, rather than having her try to catch a cab during the evening rush hour.”

“Thank you very much, Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” Song Hwa said with a smile. “I’m so sorry to have inconvenienced you.”

“Are you feeling better?  Jae Hwan said your stomach was giving you trouble,” Ik Jun said.  “You should rest if you are unwell. Don’t worry about work, we’ve got it covered.”

“I’m fine,” Song Hwa replied.  “It doesn’t take too much effort to check emails.  Plus —”

Just then a puff of white cloud appeared next to Song Hwa’s feet.

“And who is this?” Ik Jun said, gazing at the cloud that was looking curiously at him. 

“Ah, this is Toby,” Song Hwa replied, placing her laptop bag against her wall.  Then she put her foot in front of the cloud to stop it from running out of the apartment.  “Say hello to Lee Ik Jun-sshi, Toby.”

Song Hwa watched as Ik Jun got down on one knee and Toby approached him for a sniff.  

“He’s a samoyed?” 

“Yes, two months old.  My brother’s friend had a litter and I adopted him,” Song Hwa replied.  “He can be a bit shy and aloof.  It takes a while for him to warm up.”

But to Song Hwa’s surprise, Toby the puppy didn’t seem shy at all with Ik Jun.  Having completed its introductory sniff, it licked Ik Jun’s hand and was now trying to jump into his arms.  Seeing this, Ik Jun sat down, picked Toby up and cuddled it.  Toby began licking Ik Jun’s face, making him laugh.

Lee Ik Jun-sshi laughs?

What a strange sight it was.  

Song Hwa would have never, in her wildest imagination, believed that she would see the day when Ik Jun would be seated at her doorway laughing with her puppy.

“Yah, that tickles,” Ik Jun said with a chuckle, as Toby nuzzled up against his neck, wagging its tiny tail. 

“How do you take care of him when you’re at work?” Ik Jun asked, glancing up at Song Hwa.

“Oh, I drop him off at my parents before work,” Song Hwa explained, crouching down to scratch Toby’s head.  “They have more space there for him to run around.  Then I’ll pick him up at the end of the day. He stays with them whenever I travel too.”

“Ahh, I see,” Ik Jun said, stroking Toby gently. “He’s ok with living in two homes?”

“Seems so,” Song Hwa replied.  “It helps that my parents completely spoil him when he’s with them.”

“That’s great,” Ik Jun said.  “By the way, are you going somewhere?”

“I was about to bring Toby for a walk,” Song Hwa said, standing up and sweeping white fur off her coat.  “The poor boy has been stuck at home the whole day.”

“You sure you are up to it?”

“Yes, of course,” Song Hwa said.  “It’ll only be a couple of blocks.”

“Tell you what,” Ik Jun said, getting up from the floor with Toby in his arms.  “I’ll bring him for his walk.”

“Oh no, Lee Ik Jun-sshi, ” Song Hwa said, shaking her head.  “I cannot trouble you anymore.”

“Don’t worry about it. I love dogs. My sister and I used to have one called Mickey,” Ik Jun said, tickling Toby under its chin. “And you really should be resting instead of walking around the neighbourhood.” 

Song Hwa considered his offer.  Although her stomach felt slightly better, she wasn’t sure how long it would last.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked.

“Very,” Ik Jun said. “Let me have his stuff?  I’ll bring him back in a bit.”

Song Hwa checked her phone for the umpteenth time but there were no new messages. She had already finished replying to her emails and going through the draft reports that Seon Bin and Seok Min had submitted to her.  She even managed to take a quick nap on her sofa, after dozing off while watching the news. And Lee Ik Jun-sshi was still not back with Toby. What on earth was taking them so long, she wondered.

As she sat thinking about whether Ik Jun had run off with Toby, Song Hwa’s stomach growled. I really should eat something, she thought. I haven’t eaten anything the entire day. Opening up her food delivery app, Song Hwa scrolled through the list of restaurants, looking for something warm and gentle on her stomach.  Perhaps some abalone porridge.

Just then, she heard the chiming of her doorbell.  

“You’re back!” Song Hwa said, opening the door. 

“Yes, sorry we took a while,” Ik Jun said, with a wiggling Toby in his arms. He passed Toby to Song Hwa who gave the puppy a hug. Then, she noticed that Toby was holding something in its mouth.

“What do you have there, Toby?” she asked, bouncing the puppy gently.  

“Oh, I got him a squeaky toy in the shape of a hotdog,” Ik Jun said, passing Toby’s water bowl to Song Hwa.

“You got him a toy?” Song Hwa asked.  “Thank you so much, Lee Ik Jun-sshi, but you really shouldn’t have.   We have caused you so much trouble already.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Ik Jun said. “He was such a good boy at the park I needed to give him a small reward.”

“I hope he was no trouble?”

“Not at all,” Ik Jun said, stroking Toby on the head. “He was a bit wary of the bigger dogs but eventually made friends with two golden retriever puppies. And he had a lot of fun with them.  Right, Toby?”

“And by the way,” Ik Jun said, handing a white plastic bag to Song Hwa, “I got you some abalone porridge.”

“Oh!”

Before Song Hwa could respond, Ik Jun reached for Toby’s front paw and gave it a little shake, saying, “Ok, I should get going.  I’ll see you soon, Toby!”

Then Ik Jun gave Song Hwa a nod and a smile and he walked away.

Chapter Text

Ik Jun typed his password again, sat back in his chair and watched the small yellow ball spin slowly in the bottom right corner of his laptop. When the ball stopped and turned green, Ik Jun clicked on the icon for his email. 

Access denied. 

With a sigh, Ik Jun reached for his handphone and unplugged it from its charger. He navigated to his list of recent contacts and clicked on the second number on the list. As he waited for the call to connect, Ik Jun stood up, walked over to the floor to ceiling windows of his hotel room. 

His first time in Iceland, Ik Jun was surprised by how early the sun set in autumn and how dark the nights were. From his room, he could see Tjörnin, the pond in the middle of central Reykjavik, teeming with swans, geese and ducks. It was a Friday evening, so the area was more crowded than usual - cyclists, joggers, dog-walkers, children on scooters, lovers on benches, and groups of young people seated by the bank, chatting and laughing. On the opposite side of the pond, the stately buildings that he jogged past on his first day in Reykjavik were now lit, creating a beautiful shimmer on the waters of the Tjörnin. 

The call finally connected and Ik Jun returned to the desk, waiting for his call to be answered. Opening his web browser, he looked up the weather forecast and was pleased to find out that the following day was going to be cloudless and sunny, the perfect weather for what he had planned. 

Ik Jun was about to check on the latest baseball results when a voice came on.

“Yah!” Jun Wan yelled, causing Ik Jun to instinctively move his phone away from his ear. “Do you know what time it is?” 

“I cannot log in to my email,” Ik Jun said, typing the name of his baseball team into the search engine. “Can you find out what’s wrong?”

“Lee Ik Jun! It’s three in the morning!”

“Is it my VPN? I can surf the net though.”

“I’m not your tech support!” Jun Wan roared. “How many times do I have to tell you?” 

Ik Jun could just imagine what Jun Wan looked like now. Messy hair, bloodshot eyes, and a face flushed red. 

“I don’t have their number,” Ik Jun replied, closing the web browser once he found out that his team had lost. “And why would I call a bunch of strangers when I can call you?”  

“I don’t understand why you always do this!” 

“Do I have a choice? I have to update Minister before she gets on the plane,” Ik Jun said, picking up his fountain pen to draw stick figures on the notepad provided by the hotel.

“This is the last time I swear!” Jun Wan huffed. “I’m blocking your number!” 

“Sure, sure,” Ik Jun replied, tearing the page from the notepad and examining it under the light to see if the ink had bled through the paper. “Yah, stop whining. The sooner we sort this out, the sooner you can get back to bed.”

Whatever that was ailing Ik Jun’s laptop was more complicated than usual and Jun Wan spent the next hour barking instructions at Ik Jun, making him type passwords, click on unfamiliar icons and folders, download packages and install drivers. 

As they waited for the system to reboot for the fifth time, Ik Jun asked Jun Wan about the meeting with Deputy SG that he had missed. With his voice still terse, Jun Wan told him that it wasn’t particularly interesting, apart from Deputy SG’s announcement that Jeong Won had been assigned to organise Sports Day and Seok Hyeong was to organise the biennial office retreat. 

Ik Jun, in an attempt to cheer Jun Wan up, told the latter what he had been up to the past four days. He left out the boring work details of course. Jun Wan would not be interested in how he negotiated the finalised text of the Memorandum of Understanding; how much work went into coming to an agreement with the Iceland officials on the information to include in the press kit; or confirming protocol - where the two Ministers were to sit when signing the MOU, or where the flags were to be placed. 

Instead, Ik Jun told Jun Wan about how cosmopolitan yet cosy Reykjavik was, the vast areas of untouched wilderness, and folklore about huldufólk, the elves of Iceland, that he heard from the Iceland officials over dinner. He also told Jun Wan that the Iceland officials had rented cars for him and Song Hwa so that they could visit the areas surrounding Reykjavik before Minister’s arrival on Sunday. 

“So, you and Song Hwa are getting along okay?” Jun Wan asked, no longer sounding annoyed. “Especially after the spat you had with her just before the trip.”

“It was not a spat. Like I told Jeong Won and Seok Hyeong, it’s just a difference of opinion,” Ik Jun replied, reaching for the hotel folder on his desk and flipping through it to look for the room service menu. “Yah, did you watch the game yesterday?”  

Ik Jun woke up the following morning in an excellent mood. 

Twenty-six hours. That was all the time he had before Minister’s arrival and he needed to make the most of it. 

And so, instead of wasting time at breakfast, Ik Jun grabbed a croissant and a blueberry muffin from the buffet table along with a cup of coffee. He ate them while walking so that by the time he reached his hotel room, he had already finished his breakfast. He threw the paper bag and the empty cup into the bin before doing a quick check of all the items in his large blue duffle bag. After confirming that he had packed everything he needed, Ik Jun put on his long black puffy coat, wound his grey scarf around his neck, slung his brown leather messenger bag diagonally across his body, picked up the duffle bag, and made his way out of the room. 

In his haste and excitement, Ik Jun almost missed Song Hwa. 

He had just closed the boot of his car when he spotted her sitting on a bronze cast iron bench near the entrance of the hotel. Ik Jun thought she looked a little forlorn - slumped on the bench with her eyes fixed on a concrete three tiered fountain and her hands tucked into the pockets of her white puffy coat. He opened the door to the driver’s seat and stood there for a moment looking at her. After glancing at his watch, he decided he could spare a couple of minutes, so he shut the car door with a thud. 

“Good morning, Chae Song Hwa-sshi,” Ik Jun said as he approached Song Hwa. 

His appearance seemed to have startled her as she looked up at him in surprise. 

“Oh, good morning, Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” she said with a polite smile. 

“Is everything okay? You are not going out?”

“No,” she replied, shaking her head slightly. “Not now. There has been some complication.”

“Complication?” Ik Jun asked, concerned. Did he miss an email from Minister? 

With a sigh, Song Hwa answered, “Long story short, I lost my bag that contained my phone, wallet, car key, everything. Actually, no, I didn’t lose it. I know exactly where it is. It is at the back of a truck.”

“What?” Ik Jun said with his eyes wide open and his eyebrows raised. “How did that happen?” 

“There were two sheepdogs on the truck,” Song Hwa said with another sigh, her eyes downcast. “I put my bag down so that I could play with them. But I forgot all about it until after the truck had driven off.”

“But it’s okay,” she continued quickly. “The hotel knows the truck owner very well. They said that he will be back this evening with my bag.”

“What are you going to do from now till then? I am happy to lend you some money, Chae Song Hwa-sshi,” Ik Jun asked, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. 

“Oh no, Lee Ik Jun-sshi, thank you for the offer,” Song Hwa said, shaking her head. “I’ll be fine. I’ll just look around the city and order room service.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll be fine,” Song Hwa said with a smile. 

“If that’s what you wish, Chae Song Hwa-sshi,” Ik Jun said with a nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” 

“Have a good day, Lee Ik Jun-sshi.”

Ik Jun sat in the driver’s seat and put on his seat belt. He inserted the key into the ignition and was about to turn it on when he glanced at Song Hwa again. She hadn’t moved from her seat. Still sitting there with her hair fluttering in the breeze, swinging her legs gently. He sat back in his seat and thought for a moment. Then he removed the key from the ignition, unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. 

“Did you forget something, Lee Ik Jun-sshi?” Song Hwa asked when she saw him approaching.

Ik Jun sat down next to her on the bench before saying, “Would you like to join me today, Chae Song Hwa-sshi? We can explore this place together.” 

“Oh no, I couldn’t,” Song Hwa replied, looking astounded by his suggestion. “I don’t think I should impose.”

“Please don’t worry, it’s not an imposition at all,” Ik Jun said. The breeze was quickly turning into a rustling wind so he tightened the scarf around his neck and zipped up his coat. “Wouldn’t you like to see the rest of Iceland? I mean, after four days in Reykjavik, I think we have probably seen most of the city centre already.”

Not hearing a response, Ik Jun sneaked a peek at Song Hwa. She appeared to be in deep thought, her eyes fixed on the ground.

“Let’s be honest, Lee Ik Jun-sshi,” Song Hwa said after some time, her voice soft against the wind. “I’m sure you’d agree that spending a day alone together will be uncomfortable for both of us.”

Then she looked at him with a rueful smile and said, “So I believe it’ll be best that we do our own things today.”  

Taken aback by how direct she was, Ik Jun fell silent and considered her words. 

“How about this, Chae Song Hwa-sshi,” Ik Jun eventually said. Still unable to meet her eyes, he chose to study his scarf and found a piece of stray white thread dangling from its fringe. “We call a truce. For now. Like the Christmas truce.”

“Christmas truce?” Song Hwa asked, sounding puzzled. “What’s that, Lee Ik Jun-sshi?”

“Happened during the First World War,” Ik Jun replied, taking his time to brush the piece of thread away. “The British and German soldiers were fighting and living in trenches along the Western Front. The weather was freezing and life was generally terrible. So the German Emperor tried to boost his soldiers’ morale by sending them Christmas trees. On Christmas Eve, the soldiers lit these trees with candles and placed them outside their trenches. They started singing carols and soon, the British soldiers on the other side heard them and joined in.”

“I never knew this,” Song Hwa said. “It’s a true story?”

“Yes, over the years, there have been numerous accounts of what happened,” Ik Jun replied, finally turning his head to look at her. “Anyway, on Christmas Day, the German soldiers emerged from their trenches and met the British soldiers on no man’s land. They talked, had meals together and exchanged gifts. There were stories about how they played soccer too.”

“So what I am trying to say, Chae Song Hwa-sshi, is that we agree to a truce and spend the day together,” Ik Jun said, leaning back on the bench. He looked at her with a smile and said, “I am sure we can get along if we try.”

“Your suggestion is tempting, but —”

“Of course the other way to think about this is that no one will be able to reach you until this evening,” Ik Jun said. “What happens if Minister has instructions when she’s transiting in Heathrow? At least if we are together, I can convey them to you.”

“That is true…” Song Hwa said, looking thoughtful. 

“It’s settled then,” Ik Jun said. “Tell you what, let’s pretend we are in an alternate universe. We are not colleagues but freshmen in… say… first year of medical school. Today is the start of orientation and we are meeting each other for the first time.”

Ik Jun turned his body so he was directly facing Song Hwa and said, “Hello! I’m Lee Ik Jun.”

Song Hwa hesitated for a bit before saying, “Hello, Lee Ik Jun-sshi, I’m —”

“‘Lee Ik Jun-sshi’? Yah, you cannot call me that. We are literally the same age. And in this alternate universe, we are 19.”

“Fine,” Song Hwa said, looking as though she wanted to roll her eyes but was too polite to do so.   

“We have to re-do our introductions,” Ik Jun said. 

So, he got up from his seat and stood in front of Song Hwa.

“Hi, I am Lee Ik Jun,” he said with a grin and offered his hand. 

Song Hwa looked up at him. Then with a smile, she stood up and shook his hand. “Hello, Ik Jun,” she said. “I’m Chae Song Hwa.“

“So, what are your plans for today?” Song Hwa asked as they were driving out of the hotel. 

“I was going to do touristy things, like visiting waterfalls and volcanoes,” Ik Jun said, turning his head left and right to watch for oncoming cars. “You? We can do some things on your list too.”

“I actually have nothing planned,” Song Hwa replied, looking out of the window at the cafe she had been frequenting the past four days. She could really do with a hot cup of coffee now. “I was going to just drive around and stop whenever I see anything interesting.”

“Shall we go to the waterfalls first then?” Ik Jun asked, glancing at his GPS. “And if you see anything interesting along the way, just let me know.”

“Okay, I’ll do that,” Song Hwa said, nodding her head. Just then, her stomach gave a growl, a growl so gentle that she was sure it could not have been heard by anyone but her. Willing herself to ignore her stomach, she watched pedestrians going about their day. At that moment, the traffic lights turned amber and she felt the car roll to a stop.

“Have you had breakfast?” Ik Jun asked, looking at her.

Song Hwa shook her head. Did he hear her stomach growling? “I was going to eat hotdogs,” she explained. “Min Ha told me that there is a famous hotdog stand here and I wanted to try it.”

“Shall we go then?” Ik Jun said as the traffic lights turned green. “I love hotdogs.” 

There was a long line at the hotdog stand when they arrived. It was a simple red and white stand, with a small window for customers to order and receive their hotdogs. There were three wooden picnic tables next to it and a few red standing tables a short distance away. Song Hwa assumed that most of the customers were tourists, because, without exception, they would pose for photos with their hotdogs once they received them. 

“Which one would you like?” Ik Jun asked, looking at the hotdogs passing him. “I think I’ll get the one with everything.”

“May I have two?” Song Hwa asked with a shy smile. “I mean, I didn’t have much dinner — “

“Of course,” Ik Jun replied. “Will two be enough?”

“Yes,” Song Hwa replied. “One with everything and the other with just ketchup and mustard.”

The hotdog was just like what Min Ha described - there was a “snap” when Song Hwa first bit into it, then came the crunchy onions and the sweet mustard with the mayo-and-herb-based sauce. Everything was so yummy! She should have ordered three. 

“Hey, take your time,” Ik Jun said, munching on his hotdog while looking at her with his eyebrows furrowed. “We are not in a hurry.”

“Sorry,” Song Hwa said with her mouth full, picking up her second hotdog from the table, all ready to start. “This is just so good.”

“Would you like a drink? I need a coffee,” Ik Jun said. “There is a cafe just across the street.” 

“Yes, a large black coffee please. Hot,” Song Hwa said, taking another bite before wiping sauce from her lips. “I’ll pay you for everything this evening, once I get back my bag.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ik Jun said, placing the last of his hotdog into his mouth and getting up from the table. “I’ll be back in a bit. Take your time, ok?”

With breakfast out of the way, they returned to the car and began their hour-and-a-half drive to Gullfoss, the most famous waterfall in Iceland. Song Hwa sipped her coffee and watched as the scenery changed from a city buzzing with life and low-rise buildings with colourful roofs and facades, to an almost empty highway, surrounded by tall mountains and great expanses of uninhabited wilderness. With winter just round the corner, the grass was starting to brown and Song Hwa could see huge rocks scattered among them.

“So, how is Toby doing?” Ik Jun asked, taking a large gulp of his coffee before placing his cup back in the cup holder. 

“Very well,” Song Hwa said. Just the mention of her puppy made her smile. “He’s becoming mischievous though.”

“Mischievous? How so?”

“Running away with things and hiding them,” Song Hwa said with a laugh. “My eomma told me yesterday that he ran away with the TV remote and hid it behind one of the flower pots. My appa apparently had a hard time looking for it.”

Chuckling, Ik Jun said, “Maybe he thinks it’s a game.”

Song Hwa nodded. “That’s what my appa said too. My parents adore him so they think it’s cute.”

The drive continued in silence and Song Hwa busied herself taking the occasional photo and catching glimpses of sheep.

“Shall I put on some music?” Ik Jun asked.

“Sure,” Song Hwa replied, still looking out of the window. A horse!

The radio cackled and a male voice came on, speaking enthusiastically in a foreign tongue. Song Hwa watched as Ik Jun tapped a button on the console, trying to find a station they could both enjoy (or at least understand). There was a station playing loud French heavy metal music, another had a commercial in English selling washing detergent. The fourth station had a lady singing what sounded like an opera in her very shrill voice, and the fifth featured a talk show with two men who were obviously angry, but they somehow managed to speak without raising their voices. Were they politicians, Song Hwa wondered. Eventually Ik Jun settled on something neutral - a station playing classical music.

“Are they already playing Christmas music,” Song Hwa said when the instrumental version of Silent Night came on. “It’s only October!”

“May I ask you a question?” Ik Jun said, taking a quick glance at her.

“Of course, ask away.”

“Why do you play Christmas music in the middle of the year?”

Song Hwa turned to look at him with a grin. “You noticed,” she said. 

“Yes,” Ik Jun said, reaching for his cup for another sip. “It’s kind of odd to hear them in the middle of the year, when it’s all hot and sunny.”

“It’s quite simple,” Song Hwa said. “Christmas music has this calming effect on me and it cheers me up. So it's my stress-relieving cheat code.” 

“Ahh, I see,” Ik Jun said, nodding his head. “So, which is your favourite Christmas carol?”

“‘O Holy Night’, by far,” Song Hwa replied. “You?”

“I’ve never thought about it,” Ik Jun said. “Maybe ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’?” 

“Oh no, no no,” he said, shaking his head. “It should be ‘It Came Upon A Midnight Clear’.”

“Both excellent choices,” Song Hwa said with a laugh. 

Then, taking another glance at her, Ik Jun asked, “Would you like me to play them? I have a couple of Christmas albums on my phone.”

“Really?” Song Hwa asked, looking at him with an eager smile. “That’ll be great!”

And so, at the next pull-out road, Ik Jun stopped the car and connected his phone to the stereo system. 

Then, accompanied by the soft strains of Christmas music, the couple journeyed on.