8 years later…

“Miss Park?”

“Yes!”

I got up from my desk and spun around to see Senior Editor Lee beckoning me over to his desk.

“Yes?” I repeated as I approached.

“I know we’re really busy cause of our publishing cut-off, but I really, really need your help on this”

Senior Editor Lee Soon Geum, if it wasn’t for the fact that I’d known him for three years already, let alone him somehow being my senior when he was only a year older, I’d be fuming. His brown eyes were begging for help behind his large wire frames as he looked at me. Rolling my eyes, I caved.

“C’mon, you know we’re just before a deadline, I’ve still got an article to finish writing,” I groaned under my breath, “There better be a good reason, so spill,”

“Okay, so I’ve got this blind date-“

“No.”

“Jinju please, I’m begging you” he grabbed my arm as I tried to leave, “Please, please, please, pretty pleaseeee just let me finish!”

Every time, this man seems to go on every single blind date in the world. And every time he asks me to cover his load. He better know he’s one lucky bastard to have such a pushover of a friend like me.

I waved at him gesturing for him to continue his plead case.

“So, get this, she’s a doctor at Hanil Medical Hospital. The Hanil Medical, can you believe?”

“No, I can’t” I replied sarcastically.

“She’s such a catch and I worked so hard to even get her number, gosh she was such a strong woman, beautiful and strong…,”

“Soon Geum! Get to the point!” exasperated I crossed my arms.

“Right, right, so silly me, I actually crossed my wires and I’ve double booked myself with a really important client this evening,”

“Right…”

“Sooo, could you go to that meeting in my steed?”

I looked at him, gobsmacked.

“You’re seriously pushing an important work meeting aside for this girl?”

“She’s just that important, okay?” he replied sheepishly, looking away from me.

Geum wasn’t bad looking at all, in fact many would call him somewhat of a stud. Smart, witty and with eyes that would melt any girl’s heart (except for mine, clearly), it was a true mystery as to why he never seemed to last more than a first date with someone. He’s also such a hopeless romantic that just desperately wants a girlfriend he can treasure so… I did feel bad for him.

After a pause I sighed, “Alright… alright I’ll do it, but I swear to god Geum this is the la-“

“I know, I know the last time you’ll help me with a blind date. Thank you so so much Jinju! You’re a serious life-saver!”

If I had a dollar for every time I helped this man on his blind dates I’d be retired by now…

“Alright, well I’ll email you the location and the name of the person you’re meeting. He’s an up and coming hot-shot writer that we’re trying to land an interview for in our next edition. Apparently, people can’t get enough of his writing, not to mention he’s an absolute stud of a guy,”

“Hot-shot writer? What’s his name?”

“Remie” Geum dramatically swung his arms open as he said the name, “Sick name, right?”

“Remie, sounds like that Disney movie rat,”

“Spelt differently, gosh Jinju couldn’t you play along for a bit?”

Rolling my eyes, I walked back to my desk and opened up Geum’s email.

6pm at the Atlier Hotel.

I scrolled further down the email and saw the email exchange between Geum and the writer.

Remie… I still thought that was a rather odd name but had to admit, it had a nice short ring to it.

At the bottom was his email sign off,

Kind Regards,

Remie

The romantic hermit

I felt a sharp pain pierce my chest as memories tried to make their way back in. Panicking I left my desk and headed to the bathroom as discreetly as possible.

In the bathroom, I clutched my chest tightly. I hadn’t heard that term in a long time and I didn’t think I’d ever hear or see it again. Tears welled up as I tried to hold myself together.

A text from Geum came through, Are you alright? I saw you run into the bathroom. You looked like you’re in pain.

He was right.

It was a painful memory that I wished I never had.