Chapter 19 - Two Flies in a Jar

"Ahh, I'm just kidding, Dr. Kim..." She shrugged coquettishly, with a beaming smile. "I know you wanted to apologize, you just are bad at doing it."

"But what's wrong with this woman?!" He shifted in his seat, and looking away, asked aloud to no one in particular, not hiding his outrage. Ye Rim had a condescending smile on her face, despite the rigid posture of the body on the chair, legs and arms crossed.

"Miss Nam, please help my grandson to be a gentleman," Mr. Go intervened, seizing the cue to put his convoluted plan into practice.

"Who said I'm not a gentleman, when I want to be one?"

"I thought you wanted to apologize ... to Ms. Nam and to me. You owe me double apologies as far as I remember." The ominous tone of the old man got a suspicious look from his grandson. 'But what is this nightmare? When did it start to get this way?'

"What…?"

Ye Rim grew uneased, as her moment of triumph was quickly escaping from her hands, and she sensed things would soon awkwardly scale. She was not really into witnessing Dr. Kim being scolded by his grandfather, or something like this, in front of her.

"Aigoo, gentlemen, I must go back to..." She started to get up, but Mr. Go's hand gesture, asking her to sit down again, prevented her from leaving the table. She held the air, waiting for what would come next. Mr. Go took some time to get himself back on his seat and pompously retrieve something out of his coat, which he placed on the center of the table. She had to lean forward, as did Kim Jun Hyeon, to see what it was about.

It was a couple of tickets to a famous musical whose starring cast and rave reviews kept the house full and tickets sold out for months. Ye Rim's eyes widened in astonishment.

"What are you doing with these tickets, Mr. Go?"

"I would go on Friday to watch a show with my grandson, if he could make free time in the schedule. His secretary suggested this date a while ago, so I took my chances."

Jun Hyeon was surprised and moved that his grandfather wanted to go with him to see the musical, and he knew why. He quickly checked his schedule by the cell phone app, and smiled.

"It's going to be great to go with you to see this musical on Friday, Hal-abeoji. I'm free for you. How lucky to have these tickets! I heard the waiting line for tickets to this show is pretty big."

"I know how much you like musicals, son. I did my best so we'd have fun together this time."

Jun Hyeon grinned, accustomed to his grandfather's sentimental temper, and made a pair of finger hearts directed at him, who smiled back.

"Oh, that sounds good! I'm jealous!" Ye Rim exclaimed sincerely, suddenly enjoying the cute aegyo gesture the doctor made to his grandfather. In that table the events changed course so quickly that she did not even know if she was acting like a fool between them. 'Weren't we almost fighting moments ago? How come?'

"Unfortunately, I will be at the funeral of my friend Byung Chul on Friday night. Forced change of plans, I dare to say." Mr. Go barely concealed a smile, before turning deadly serious and letting the plot twist revelation drop in the table.

Ye Rim and Jun Hyeon blinked in unison, startled.

"So I guess I should do like Ms. Nam and the roses," Mr Go continued, stroking the tickets as treasured items," and keep the memory of what it would have been. But Ms. Nam can take my place in it, so I'm glad I can share love too! My grandson will be my envoy and entertain you and take you to dinner and to the show after it, like a gentleman who knows how to apologize."

Kim kicked his grandfather's foot under the table. Ye Rim swallowed hard:

"Ahhhh, well, I'd like to, but you see, Dr. Kim doesn't have to strain himself to apologize to me. The flowers were enough. Seriously! Really!"

"I think you're embarrassing Ms. Nam, grandfather..."

"Ye Rim-ssi!" Mr. Go got up, fl.u.s.tered. "What happened yesterday was an accident caused by me. I also have responsibility for that. And my grandson is a polite and kind man, just seemingly rusty and rude the past couple of days for no reason. I wish you two to have a fair chance to undo whatever bad impression you may have on each other."

The man and the woman looked at each other, trying to conceal the mutual mistrust. Dr. Kim however realized that he couldn't let her refuse without a good fight. It would be offensive and un gentlemanly:

"Miss Nam, my grandfather may have put things differently than I would put them, but in fact I feel that I still owe you an apology, after the card going with the flowers... Please don't turn it down, if you don't have other plans for Friday night. Besides, my friends who have already watched the show don't stop talking about this musical."

Ye Rim didn't want to be offensive either, but frankly, how could she go to the musical with that man?

"Oh, Dr. Kim, it's just... in fact..." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mrs. Song motioning for her return to the stage, then she stood up. "Yes I have…"

"Got an appointment already? Really?"Just as Dr. Kim spoke, he regretted the eager tone, as hoping a dismissive response from the singer. He watched the Ms. Nam's face to turn purple.

"Ah well, understand, it's not that I don't want to, it's..." Mrs. Song gesturing in the background didn't help Ye Rim to think of a polite refusal either. The singer turned to Mr. Go, apologetic.

"Mr. Go, are you sure your friend died? Erm… I mean, are you sure you can't go with your grandson? I'd love to, but is that…"

"Uhn, yes I'm sure he died. At least that's what it I was officially told. It would have been nice if it wasn't so, wouldn't it?"

"Of course, aigoo... Listen, I have to get back on stage…" She turned to Kim Jun Hyeon, who blinked at the singer's sudden movement so close to him, as a whiff of her perfume reached his nostrils. "Dr. Kim, thank you very much for the flowers. Really. None of that was needed, and…"

"Well then what should I do? Too bad you can't. I feel like I should buy you a dinner, at anytime." He smiled, this time for the first time sincerely, looking up at her.

Ye Rim couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat. 'Even idiots can have a wonderful smile...' "Er, well, see you. Enjoy the show. Thank you very much for coming."

She turned, heading for the stage. Behind her back, she still overheard Mr. Go muttering harshly to Dr. Kim: "Were you even trying?"

'He considers himself too superior for such things, Mr. Go. I'm sorry, your grandson is just an idiot.' She thought, walking away.

Suddenly Ye Rim felt a grasp on her wrist from behind and reflexively turned in astonishment. Kim Jun Hyeon loosened his grip on her. Feeling that he was losing control of his situation, and his face as well, the doctor desperately decided that he should use a bit of masculine charm to win this game. He leaned toward her, still holding the fragile pulse between his fingers, which was racing, by the way, so much so that he thought he should start counting the beats. But her gaze was not moved, but outraged. He realized that it was better not to try to be gallant or whatever, risking to have his heart eaten raw in front of everyone.

Taking a deep breath, Kim Jun Hyeon leaned closer so that only she could hear, and spoke next to her ear.

"Listen, Ye Rim-ssi. Let's settle this for my grandfather. He just doesn't want to feel responsible for this… incident. Let's go to the musical together, and he'll be fairly appeased. Let's do it for him, all right? "

Ye Rim sighed, and said:

"Drop my wrist, Dr. Kim."

Jun Hyeon obeyed immediately, but showed no regrets about it. By the way, the best way to deal with this fox was to be straight and cold:

"Made up your mind already? We can take selfies as proof. Everything will be settled in a few hours."

"Aishh… So annoying… Okay." Ye Rim agreed, in a fake casual tone. "We can do it like this, if it will end this matter once for all."

Jun Hyeon walked away, and she made it to the stage, trying to decide if she was angry or anxious. 'What just did I do? Am I really going out with this guy?'