Geomancy couple

Chapter 26: Chapter 26

He was among the men who were standing up after the just concluded meeting. She turned around instinctively. She felt as if her heart was lurching out of her mouth. She held her breath quietly.

So startled, she couldn’t remember how she came back upstairs. Putting down a cup of coffee on the table, she looked out the window and found Konsu standing out there. He was parting with his companion. She was not sure if they were his supervisors at the company or his customers.

Now, she could hardly control her pounding heart.

She wanted to run to him and hold him. But he was not alone, but mingling with his companion at the moment, who seemed unfamiliar to her.

With his image as a college student gone, he looked like a manly office worker.

When he put on the suit as an intern, she that he looked awkward. But now, the suit was a perfect fit for him.

Looking at him dealing with them absentmindedly, she came to her senses only after Konsu clearly said his goodbyes with his companion.

‘I’ve got to get a hold of him.’

Konsu was walking toward the stairs of the entrance gate of the metro.

Arum ran to him at full speed and walked close behind him.

She could see his back now!

‘It’s been a while since I saw his back like this.’

“Konsu!”

Walking down the stairs, Konsu turned back.

During that brief moment, Arum worried over her appearance. She adjusted her dress and combed her hair neatly before calling him. Then, she smiled broadly at him.

“Oh, it’s you…”

Konsu had a troubled look on his face. She couldn’t find any trace of a welcoming expression on his face. She was embarrassed.

A little later, Konsu also smiled broadly and said, “I’m sorry. I was surprised. It’s been a while. How have you been?” Konsu then held out his hand habitually.

‘Shaking hands with my ex-boyfriend?’

Arum was perplexed for a moment. Konsu also felt awkward when he offered his hand, so he laughed mirthlessly.

Arum gave him a gentle smile, as if she broke up with him just yesterday.

Though their wounded hearts three years ago seemed to separate them, they were not truly estranged.

Arum felt strange when she found she was smiling at him as if nothing had happened before. She completely forgot how much she felt distressed and pained after her breaking up their engagement. Her resentment against him melted away like spring snow.

“Do you want to get a cup of coffee?” asked Konsu.

Only then did Arum realize that she left her handbag and smartphone at the coffee shop. And she also forgot that she had a meeting with Hojoon at 2:30 PM there.

“No, not now. I have a meeting. Are you still working at the same company?”

“No, I’ve moved to a foreign company.” He took out a business card case from his briefcase.

“That case…”

Arum was surprised to see the case. It was the business card case she gave him as a gift. Taking it out, he chuckled bashfully and said, “Well, I’m using it well. As everything was going smoothly after I received it from you, I couldn’t throw it away.”

In fact, she bought it for him as a gift to congratulate for his intern job in the 2nd semester of his senior year in college.

It was neither expensive nor a brand-name product, let alone any handicraft by a master artisan. It was just a decent case she bought at a department store during its discount period. Such a common case turned out to be a lucky item for him. She was touched by the fact that he still kept the case with him.

‘You’re mine, Konsu.’

Her choice of this man that she loved so much was not wrong.

He was still perfect as her lover. To her, he was the only man and lover.

But the name on the card was different.

“Konwoo Han? Did you change your name?”

With an awkward smile, he said, “My mother has given me a new name in the hopes that I can get a good job.”

Come to think of it, his mother’s love of Konsu was pretty strong.

She felt regret parting with him like this. But he was no more a college boy, but an office worker.

“Let’s have a cup of coffee next time. Let me treat you,” Arum said goodbye to him first.

“Don’t forget to call me,” said Konsu, tapping her gently on the back.

Very gently.

But it was a gentle and warm touch through which she could feel everything from him.

Nodding, she turned around.

When she came back to the coffee shop, Hojoon was already there, waiting for her.

“When did you get here? You told me you would be late.”

Her face looked red with excitement. He stared at her bluntly.

She felt embarrassed. She felt as if he was hearing the beating of her heart. She really felt as if he was already reading her mind.

The atmosphere was rather heavy as Hojoon kept silent for a while.

Arum took pains to say in a bright voice to change the atmosphere, “How did you know this table was our place?”

Instead of replying, he tapped on the table with his fingers. On the table was a feature project of <Single Woman>.

“Wow, I think you have a good discerning eye. What do you want for a drink?”

Apparently upset, he said curtly, “I’ve already ordered.”

On the table were two cups of espresso coffee.

It had a very strong taste with concentrated coffee.

“Espresso coffee?”

No matter how much she liked coffee, it was too strong for her.

“Well, that’s the coffee type I like,” he said, emptying the cup instantly.

He drank it as if he was gulping down a cup of soju.

On the other hand, Arum could hardly drink hers as it was too hot. She had to frown at every sip because it tasted so strong and bitter. She resented this man, who ordered coffee without asking her about her favorite coffee.

‘Gosh. Where is my Caramel Macchiato?’

When Arum looked around for it, he pointed at the floor.

“I cleaned it up.”

“Oh, I see.”

She noticed coffee stains on the floor carpet below the table. Obviously, she had spilled it when she hastily went out of the coffee shop to catch up with Konsu.

“As you can see, I cleaned it up very well.”

Arum felt embarrassed, and at the same time she expressed thanks in a feeble voice.

“You came back earlier than expected,” said Hojoon in a sharp tone.

Obviously, it was her mistake that she left the place without leaving any note.

“Were you worried?” she asked, looking at his facial expression.

“Me? Nope.”

She felt a bit awkward.

‘Dang it! Why would he be worried about me?’ She thought she asked him a silly question.

“By the way, why don’t you ask me why I came late?”

“You told me you would be late because of a meeting.”

“Well, I had a meeting with the people with Sola Electronics.”

“Are you talking about your ex-girlfriend Cho?”

“Why didn’t receive the call from Sola Electronics?”

Come to think of it, she received a call from Solar Electronics last week.

Was it because of that?

“Are you working on their behalf?”

“Well, electronics companies like Sola Electronics are producing lots of products targeting newlyweds during the wedding season. Though they look for products with salient functional features, they often get the advice of the people around them before buying. They are more interested in the reputation of the products than the function.”

Arum nodded.

In fact, she didn’t know anything when she was preparing to buy home furnishings before her wedding. Though she used them casually before marriage, she really found it hard to select what she wanted to buy. She wasn’t sure of which home appliance she had to buy first.

“Yeah, I know. It’s tough.”

“So, electronics companies make model houses equipped with home appliances. Newlyweds can visit model houses and ask the model managers what they want to know. They also invite newlyweds and host special events. For the current season, they chose ‘geomancy’ as the title of the special event.”

“What? They have the same theme as our company,” said Arum.

“Why do you think it’s the same?” asked Hojoon seriously.

“Well, well, because it’s in vogue?”

“Wrong!”

“Is your ex-girlfriend Cho forcing you to work with Sola Electronics regarding geomancy?”

“Failed!”

“What is it, then?”

“That woman met the editor of your magazine, I hear. That’s why the best women’s magazine of Korea came to collaborate with an electronics company like Sola Electronics.”

“Wow, this is new to me.”

“You will soon hear the news when you come back to the office.”

“Well, I just feel bad about it. Do you think it’s okay for that woman to proceed with the geomancy project like this, as if she’s boasting about her wealth?”

“Do you want me to stop it?”