What’s in the Suitcase… and Outside of It?
“Who says life isn’t a comedy?” Min-jae thought as he sat in the car, staring at the open suitcase that clearly wasn’t his. “Then why am I always the clown?”
The suitcase he had carefully unlocked while his driver waited outside the terminal was full of things he couldn’t have imagined owning in his wildest dreams. Floral dresses, sky-high stilettos, and lace lingerie…
“What is this?” he muttered, lifting a black bra of a size that made him wonder if it was actually a tent. “This isn’t my suitcase! Where are my suits? My silk shirts? My… Armani colognes?”
The driver, obviously confused, turned to him. “Sir, is everything alright?”
“Is everything alright?” Min-jae repeated, holding the bra like evidence of a crime. “Do I look like someone whose life is alright?”
The driver shrugged. “Perhaps there’s been a mix-up…”
“A mix-up? The mistake was that I even flew today! Turn the car around! We’re going back to the airport!”
A few minutes later, Min-jae was storming through the terminal, suitcase in hand, his eyes scanning for someone who looked like they could own this floral disaster. His plan to quickly resolve the issue was interrupted when he saw her.
She stood by the exit, trying to hail a taxi. Long, dark hair fell over her shoulders, but that wasn’t what shocked him. Her curves—curves uncommon in Korea—were emphasized by a short skirt and a tight top that revealed more than it concealed.
“Holy…,” Min-jae thought, his heart racing. “How… how does someone walk around with… with that?”
He tried to look away, but his eyes kept coming back, as if they had a mind of their own. “Look down, Min-jae. Look down. You’re not here to stare… at anatomy!”
Taking a deep breath, he walked toward her. “Just go and tell her. It’s simple. You’re an adult. You’re a successful businessman.”
But as he got closer, the words he had prepared in his head disappeared.
“Excuse me,” he said, his voice sounding slightly higher than he intended.
She turned to him, looking at him with mild confusion. Her eyes, blue like a summer sky, were almost hypnotizing.
“Yes?” she said with a slight French accent.
“Your… uh… suitcase!” he managed to say.
“Suitcase?” she repeated, smiling at him.
“Yes! I mean, not the one you have now… but maybe it is. Is this your suitcase?”
Claire raised an eyebrow and looked at the suitcase in his hand. “No. That’s not my suitcase.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, trying not to sound desperate.
“Pretty sure,” she said with a laugh. “But we can check.”
She opened the suitcase she was holding and began pulling out items: luxury shirts, tailored suits, and colognes. Min-jae recognized each one.
“That’s it! That’s my suitcase!” he said triumphantly.
“Alright,” Claire said calmly, handing it to him. “Then this one is yours. And… this one is mine?”
“Yes.” He paused, watching her close the floral-print suitcase. “Wait a minute. How do I know this wasn’t intentional?”
“What?” she said, looking at him like he’d lost his mind.
“Maybe you followed me. You knew I had luxury items and wanted to steal them.”
Claire laughed, loud and genuine. “You think I planned to steal your suits? To wear them? Maybe I should try on your shoes?”
“Don’t try to laugh your way out of this!” he said, feeling his face heat up. “We’re going to the police.”
“The police?” she said, now visibly offended. “Are you serious?”
“Completely serious.”
Claire took a deep breath. “Fine. If it’ll help you sleep better at night, let’s go.”
They walked toward the exit, and as they did, Min-jae couldn’t help but glance at her again.
“How does she even walk with that?” he thought, struggling not to stare. “And why does everything she wears have to be so… tight?”
Claire noticed his gaze and smiled. “You know,” she said casually, “if we’re going to the police, maybe you could stop staring at me.”
“I wasn’t staring!” he said too quickly, feeling his face flush even more.
“Of course you weren’t,” she said, laughing. “You were just… looking in my general direction.”
“Please don’t talk,” he said, looking straight ahead. “Let’s just go.”
Claire shrugged, still smiling, as they entered the police station together.
