Page 47 of Damian & Jun: Episodes 1-4
Mrs. Choi slapped Mi Hi across the face.
Jun started forward. Mi Hi pressed a hand to her face and shook her head, grabbing Jun’s hand and moving to the door.
Jun looked back. Most of the subway car passengers were carefully looking away. Only Mrs. Choi stared after them, self-righteous anger burning in every tight line of her body.
“Leave it, Jun.” Mi Hi whispered. The train was pulling up to a station.
Jun let her drag him onto the platform. A moment later, the train door closed. This station was not inside a mall. Outside the windows, the sun was starting to set. December in the northern hemisphere always had the shortest days and longest nights. It felt like he’d just woken up.
“This isn’t our stop.”
“I know. We can take the next train. It’s only ten minutes or less. I don’t come to this side often anymore.”
She looked around for the train table. There was a bright red spot on her face, and her right eye was watering.
“We should get you ice.”
Mi Hi half laughed. “I don’t think there’s any here.”
“A cold drink, then.”
Mi Hi shook her head but let him lead her over to a vending machine. He swiped her phone and retrieved a bottle of Chilsung cider. Mi Hi snorted a half laugh and let him press the cold can to her cheek.
“Uh, that actually feels good.”
“Do you normally avoid this area? Because of…”
Mi Hi shrugged. “I don’t avoid-avoid. I just…haven’t had much reason to come up here. She threatened to hurt me if she ever saw me again. Guess she keeps her promises.”
“I’m sorry.”
Mi Hi shook her head, then winced. Jun led her over to a bench and sat her down. She pulled him down to rest beside her and patted his thigh, just below the hem of the skirt he was wearing. “I’ll be okay. I just pretend I’m in a K-drama and I’m waiting for the good part to start. It always has to get worse first, right?”
Jun growled in his throat.
“Who knew the sweet JunJun was so protective?” Mi Hi hummed.
Jun glared at her.
She smirked back with half her face, the other half still pressed against the can of Chilsung cider.
They sat in silence. In time, Mi Hi lowered the can and prodded her cheek gently. “You’re probably wondering what you got yourself into?”
“Mostly, I’m mad.”
Mi Hi chuckled and smiled at him. “Two years ago, I was an up-and-coming communications officer in a chaebol company. My office was somewhat near here. A bit higher than me was Mrs. Choi’s son. He got…handsy. Several times. He tried for more. I know some of the other girls gave in and gave it to him because they were afraid. I didn’t. I’m not saying I’m better. I just…got mad.” She grimaced at him, the edge of her lips tinged with something sad.
Jun mirrored her expression.
She huffed and shook her head. “I filed a complaint, first with the company, then with the police when the company tried to ignore me. I got a lawyer, and I sued. It made the news. Not in a huge way but enough. But the Choi family was in with the bigger chaebol family. I lost my job, my apartment, then my cousin lost his job, and my family refused to help me after that. They told me to live quietly and stop causing trouble, that I’d never get married this way. I wasn’t able to keep paying the lawyers and everything else I needed, and my mom hid paperwork from me that was delivered to her house when I lost my apartment, so I didn’t file something in time, and the case died. That was nine months ago.”
Jun put his hand on hers and squeezed gently.
She squeezed back.
There really wasn’t anything to say. Mi Hi lifted her chin again and sniffed. She wiped away tears. Jun offered her the end of his scarf. Technically, it was hers anyway.
She laughed and accepted it, dabbing at her eyes. “My makeup is going to be a mess. I’ve gone so long without wearing it I forgot not to smudge it.”
