Chapter 4 4. Man on the television screen.

"Halmeoni, did you touch your breakfast this morning?" Choi Ji Eun asked with concern, and she had just come out of the room with neat clothes already wrapped around her body. It was about time for her to go to the library.

"In a minute, this morning's news is important enough to see," Choi Ye Ram, Choi Ji Eun's grandmother, replied.

"Really? Is it about the case that's being talked about?" The woman in the pink blouse walked into the kitchen, and sure enough, some of the breakfast menus she had prepared were on the table surface–still intact.

Choi Ji Eun could only exhale. There was no way she could force her grandmother to eat now. The older woman could eat anytime–as long as she stayed healthy, that was enough for her granddaughter.

She left the kitchen and sat on the sofa next to her grandmother as she put on her flat shoes for the day. Choi Ji Eun's eyes fixed on the television screen while her grandmother's excited voice joined the latest news about the embezzlement case at a big agency.

"Good morning. The police successfully questioned suspect A for embezzlement of funds from agency X after a report made by Mr. C three months earlier. But, something is interesting–that a young lawyer named Seo Kang Ho, who is starting to make a name for himself in Korea–became the lawyer for suspect A. So what ...." As the news presenter's voice continued, the television screen showed lawyer Seo Kang Ho walking behind suspect A after several hours of interrogation at the police station.

Choi Ji Eun saw it. The grandmother also saw it, but their responses were different.

"Gosh, why would such a handsome man be willing to defend a criminal? How much does he get paid to argue in court?" Choi Ye Ram commented the older woman was quite annoyed, then pressed the remote so the television screen went black, while Choi Ji Eun was still frozen in place. The woman's movements seemed to be held back by something invisible.

Choi Ye Ram moved on. "I'd rather eat breakfast made by my grandson. Why does that man have to work to defend evil? Isn't there anything else he can do?" As she continued to babble, she stepped into the kitchen.

The woman in the pink blouse was so shocked she touched her chest, and her heart beat faster. Suddenly all the energy was absorbed until Choi Ji Eun's body decayed from the sofa to the floor, and she sat there.

"No, this can't be. Is my eyesight failing? I have to go to the doctor right away. That guy can't go back to Korea. He broke his promise. He broke it to you, Choi Ji Eun."

The cell phone ringing from the direction of the room managed to distract the woman's attention. She quickly moved towards the room, grabbed the cell phone from the bed's surface, and found her lover's name there.

"Hello, Ji Eun-ssi." Lim Woo Jin's smooth voice rang out.

Choi Ji Eun's expression was still frightened, and she rechecked the television screen, which wasn't even showing any images.

"Ji Eun-ah." Lim Woo Jin's voice returned, but his girlfriend didn't respond.

"Um, yes?" The woman was surprised. "Yes, what?"

"Are you okay, Ji Eun-ssi?"

"I'm fine. Did something happen out there?" Choi Ji Eun closed the door of her room tightly, and she sat listlessly on the edge of the bed.

"Not at all. In about ten minutes, I will arrive in front of your apartment. So, I hope you're ready to go to the library."

"Ah. Right." Choi Ji Eun laughed blandly. "I've put my flat shoes on, and I'll wait for you."

"Alright, see you."

"Bye."

After their short call over, Choi Ji Eun lay down, exhaling as she stared at the room's ceiling. From every breath she could let out, it seemed heavy.

"Why did a big surprise come to me two days without a break? Is there going to be an end to all this, or am I just being invited to start?" She sighed. "The situation is too scary. Seo Kang Ho suddenly appeared on Korean television channels. What is that man doing in this country?"

Knock-knock!

"Ji Eun-ah, did you eat your breakfast?" Grandma's voice was heard. Choi Ji Eun got up and opened the door.

"I ate my breakfast before Halmeoni woke up. So, did you enjoy the food I made this morning?"

Choi Ye Ram nodded. "Of course, anything made by my grandson must be very delicious."

"Thank you very much." Choi Ji Eun followed her grandmother's footsteps until they were sitting in a row on the sofa, she squinted at the television screen, and now the plasma object seemed to have a frightening aura to her.

"Ji Eun-ah, have you considered my request?" Halmeoni spoke again. As she was about to grab the television remote from the table, Choi Ji Eun was quicker to snatch it. "Omo. What's wrong?"

The granddaughter shook her head. "It's nothing, Halmeoni. In the previous question, did you mean about adopting a cat?"

"Right, I've been waiting for my furry friend in this place. I'll get older if I watch television, sleep and eat while you work."

"Relax, Halmeoni. I've contacted my friend, he's the owner of a pet shop, and he has a lot of contacts. So, soon a cat will come to this house." Choi Ji Eun put her arm around her grandmother's shoulder. For a moment, the troubles that had filled her mind were pushed aside.

Choi Ye Ram had wanted a pet cat for a long time, ever since her only son died in an accident when Choi Ji Eun had only been back from London for about four months, they ended up living alone.

Choi Ji Eun's parents have been separated since the woman was in her teens. She could not follow her mother's wishes to live together because she did not like the man who snatched her mother from her late father.

Now, Choi Ji Eun is responsible for managing her life with her grandmother, just the two of them under a flat that Choi Ji Eun managed to get ownership of after returning from London.

"I want a gray one," said Choi Ye Ram, an old woman with a short haircut that had turned white. She was always excited when it came to cats.

"Alright, Halmeoni. One big, cuddly gray for you."

"Look who's coming."

They heard the bell from the main door.

"It must be Lim Woo Jin, and I have to go to the library now." Choi Ji Eun hurried to get her bag from the room, then gave her grandmother another peck on the cheek and said goodbye before walking out of her apartment unit.

Behind the main door, Lim Woo Jin's warm smile greeted her. Choi Ji Eun couldn't wait–if they got married, Lim Woo Jin's warm smile would greet her when she opened her eyelids every morning.

Although anxieties began to emerge, she hoped that they would soon disappear. She wanted to enjoy her everyday life as Lim Woo Jin's wife with peace of mind.

***