Episode 4
1247 Words
Nila looked at Choi Joon with excitement and said, “Ajusshi, sign juseyo,” with a big smile on her face.
Choi Joon smiled warmly at her request. He took the paper and signed it, writing a small message along with his autograph.
Nila, always keep smiling like this. I’ll pray that you receive all the happiness in the world.
He handed the paper back to her.
Nila looked at it happily and then said, “Ajusshi, this is for me. Can you also give a sign for my mummy?”
Choi Joon chuckled softly. “Why not?”
He took another piece of paper, signed it, and handed it to Shree.
Shree accepted it and said politely, “Thank you, Mr. Choi Joon. But I think you also owe me something else.”
Choi Joon looked slightly confused. “Something else?”
Shree folded her arms and smiled a little. “Yes. An apology. Don’t you remember? That day you said I was crazy.”
She raised an eyebrow playfully.
“I know you said that because you thought I might not understand Korean, but still… you owe me an apology.”
Choi Joon scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“I’m really sorry, Ms. Shree,” he said with an embarrassed smile. “But honestly… I really did think you were crazy.”
For a moment there was silence.
Then both of them burst out laughing.
Their eyes met briefly in the middle of their laughter, and for a second Choi Joon felt something strange in his chest.
No… don’t let your heart flutter, he thought to himself. She’s a married woman. This is wrong.
He quickly looked away and cleared his throat.
“Alright then,” he said, trying to sound normal. “I should leave now.”
He turned toward Nila.
“Nila, Ajusshi is leaving now. See you again, okay?”
Nila nodded quickly.
“Before that,” Choi Joon said, raising his hand, “give me a high-five.”
Nila happily jumped and gave him a high-five.
“Bye, Ajusshi!” she said.
Choi Joon opened the door to leave, but the moment he stepped out, he froze.
The apartment secretary was standing near the elevator in the hallway.
“Oh s**t…” he muttered under his breath.
Shree noticed his reaction. “What happened?”
“The secretary is standing near the elevator,” he whispered. “If she sees me coming from this floor, she’ll start asking a hundred questions. Questions are not the problem… but she’s a serious gossip.”
Shree tried not to laugh.
“Wait here,” she said. “I’ll go check what’s happening.”
She stepped outside and started talking to the secretary.
From the slightly opened door, Choi Joon watched them. Shree was talking comfortably, smiling and nodding as if they were old friends.
She must be really good with the neighbors, he thought.
After a few minutes, Shree came back inside.
“They’re doing some maintenance work near the elevator,” she said. “It might take another fifteen minutes.”
“Yay!” Nila clapped her hands. “Ajusshi can stay here longer!”
She looked at him with her hands clasped near her chest.
“You can stay, right Ajusshi?”
Choi Joon glanced at Shree, silently asking for permission. Shree gave a small nod.
Nila immediately grabbed his hand. “Come Ajusshi! I’ll show you our house.”
Just then Shree’s phone rang.
She looked at the screen and said, “Nila, baby, play with Ajusshi and don’t disturb him. Mommy has an important call. I’ll be in my office room, okay?”
Then she turned to him.
“Mr. Choi Joon, can you look after her for a little while? I really need to take this call.”
He could see from her expression that the call was important.
“Of course,” he said.
Shree went into her office room and closed the door.
Meanwhile, Nila excitedly began giving Choi Joon a tour of their home.
She first took him to her room.
“Ajusshi, this is my room!”
She started showing him her toys, books, and drawings.
Then she suddenly asked, “Ajusshi, do you want to see my pictures?”
Before he could even answer, she had already taken out a photo album.
She sat beside him and flipped through the pages one by one, happily explaining where each picture was taken.
Choi Joon quietly looked at the photos.
Most of them were pictures of Nila and Shree together. Birthdays. Park visits. Small celebrations.
But something caught his attention.
There wasn’t a single picture of Nila’s father. Not one.
Ah… he realized slowly.
She must be a single mother.
For a moment he felt a quiet respect for Shree.
Raising a child alone in a foreign country… that must not be easy.
“Ajusshi!” Nila called again.
“Come! I’ll show you my mommy’s room too!”
She pulled him toward another room.
“This is my mom’s room.”
Choi Joon glanced around. The room was simple, neat, and peaceful.
There was a small dreamcatcher hanging near the window, and wind chimes on the balcony that gently moved with the breeze. On the bedside table were two framed photos.
One was a picture of Shree holding baby Nila.
The other was a photo of Shree standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Choi Joon looked at it with interest.
Oh… she’s been to France too, he thought.
Interesting.
“Ajusshi!” Nila said again, pulling his hand.
“Let’s go to the living room and play!”
They walked back to the living area. Just then Shree came out of her office room after finishing her call.
She looked slightly embarrassed.
“I must be crazy,” she said while scratching her head. “I didn’t even offer you anything to drink. Not even water.”
She smiled apologetically.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“Sure,” Choi Joon replied.
A few minutes later Shree came back with a cup and placed it in front of him.
“I present to you… the typical South Indian filter coffee,” she said proudly.
“Taste it.”
Choi Joon looked a little hesitant at first, but he took a sip.
His eyes widened slightly.
“Wow… this is really delicious.”
Hearing that made Shree genuinely happy. A bright smile appeared on her face.
For a few minutes they simply sat there, enjoying the calm moment while Nila played nearby. After some time, Shree glanced outside through the door.
“The hallway looks clear now,” she said.
Choi Joon nodded slowly and stood up.
“Alright then… I should leave.”
He looked down at Nila.
“Bye, Nila.”
Nila ran to him and hugged his leg.
“Bye Ajusshi! Come again!” He gently patted her head.
Then he turned to Shree.
“And… thank you for the coffee,” he said softly.
Shree nodded with a small smile.
“You’re welcome.”
Choi Joon walked toward the door and stepped outside. For a brief moment he paused and looked back. Nila was waving enthusiastically.
Shree stood beside her, smiling politely.
Choi Joon raised his hand and waved once more before walking toward the elevator.
As the door closed behind him, a strange thought crossed his mind.
Why does leaving this place suddenly feel a little difficult?
- Writer
