Chapter 11 - Where's the fairy godmother?

Late in the afternoon, Jung Eun Ha, like many people, was tired. She ran to catch the bus _ almost leaving the bus stop_ while carrying a heavy suitcase of prototype clothes.

Things haven't worked out so well today. Her boss had allowed her to skip work in the afternoon, so she could go to the other side of town, show her clothes to an alternative fashion gallery. But getting there, all she got was a long wait, only to be notified that they could not talk to her on that day.

'Aish, it's not like I can come and go every day...' she had thought, but thanked them anyway with a disappointed smile.

Eun Ha by now had lowered her expectations about her creations, her professional success, her love life; and lately she had few personal reasons to feel good about herself. Except when, she could somehow help somebody.

Like that woman running with both her children by the hand, trying to reach the bus stop at time to get into the bus_ that was about to depart.

Eun Ha quickly picked up the 'pen' from inside her bag, pretending to think about what she should write in the notepad. All she needed to do was to stop the driver from closing the door and leaving in the next minute. With a fluid movement she pointed out the pen-like wand at the driver, who had just picked up a tube of mints from his uniform's pocket. In the middle of the act of putting candy in the mouth, the magic hit the bus driver. A sudden movement shook the box of mints, causing the lid to loosen and its contents gush out... Directly into the collar of the poor man's shirt. He jumped up from his seat, surprised and disgusted with the feel of the little peppermint pills in contact with his body.

"But ... What a damn day!"

The driver shook himself, the mints slid through his clothes to the floor. He still groped himself, uncomfortable, searching for stray mints inside his clothes.

Meanwhile, the woman with the children finally entered the bus; clearly relieved of managing it at time.

Eun Ha contently nodded in self approval, as the bus left, about two minutes late, putting back her "pen" inside her bag.

Arriving in the apartment where she lived in, Eun Ha opened the door, tiredly dragging the heavy suitcase behind her. Looking at the other woman's shoes, she called:

"Ye Rim?!"

She had no immediate answer, but heard the sound of the shower on. Eun Ha threw herself on the sofa with a weary sigh.

Her eyes darted around the room, charming in a feminine way, but a little messy at the moment.

Eun Ha got up, noticing a sequined trail through the house,

"Ah, this chaotic girl!" she mumbled to herself, picking up the small shiny circles path all the way to the closed bathroom door.

She saw in a pile of clothes on the floor_ the clothes Ye Rim had taken off, of course. Eun Ha pulled the shiny fabric over to inspect it. She saw the tear in the dress she made, and it frustrated her:

"Aish, this girl!" she grunted, and then, shouted to the door:

"Ye Rim! How did you do that to the dress?"

The shower's sound ceased, and a moment passed until Eun Ha's best friend put her face out the door, a towel wrapped around her hair:

"You think I did it on purpose? It just tore apart!"

Eun Ha frowned, frustrated and concerned, turning her attention to what was left from the dress, testing the side seams with some stretching pulls. The dress just easily ripped in her hands, to Eun Ha's horror,

"Oh my God', how could you? I used only the best material ... You got fat, didn't you?"

"Aish!!!" the other woman huffed indignantly. "Of course not ... How ... Aish, Eun Ha!!!!! Take responsibility!"

Ye Rim slammed the bathroom door, leaving behind her a trail of bath fog and mystery in the air. The fashion designer was intrigued.

Eun Ha bent down to pick up the sequins that flew to the floor, when he noticed the pink fabric mixed with Ye Rim's clothes. She retrieved Ye Rim's clothes off the floor, looking carefully.

It was a men's shirt. A masculine shirt from a well-known and expensive brand, with a good masculine scent and a pink tone a fashion designer would recognize as 'flamingo'... She caught herself sniffing the shirt like a dog. And enjoying the s.e.xy aroma i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed in the fabric.

"Oh!" she was embarrassed at her own strange demeanor, pulling away the clothes. The ripped dress; the man's shirt; Ye Rim getting a shower in an unusual hour... The pieces of evidence took the thought of Eun Ha down scandalous paths:

"Ye Rim! You sassy girl! Is anyone in there with you?!"

The door opened partially again, "Are you crazy, unnie? First you don't take responsibility saying that I'm the fat one, then you come and accuse me of ... Oh!" Ye Rim saw the pink shirt in her friend's hand,

"Ah. This handsome but stupid man loaned me it so I would not come home n.a.k.e.d."

Eun Ha looked at her friend and then at the shirt in her hands, horrified. But Ye Rim didn't noticed it at all. She came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel; and going toward her own bedroom... But making her rambling perfectly audible on the way in. "What good is it to have a stunning appearance and money, if you have no common sense at all? God forbid! Arrogant and full-of-himself, it seems that he still lives in the stone age; what goes in that mind of him, uhn? Who does he think he is? I bet he must have enjoyed to be able to show up his fit choc abs to me_ certainly he doesn't have many opportunities of flashing himself... Besides at gym, ah! Why does he need that? Is being a doctor and having that face not enough? I barely blinked and he was taking off his shirt, wrapping me like a kimbap ... Was it what he was seeing so bad? I know it isn't, he was peering earlier."

Eun Ha followed her into the bedroom, stunned, still holding the shirt, while Ye Rim chattered about the afternoon's experience.

But Eun Ha's thoughts wandered into the past, nervously twisting the flamingo shirt into her hands.