Chapter 1 – still in progress

          Glancing at the clock for the third time that Wednesday morning, Hyun Jae jumped out of the bed when she saw that she would be 20 mins late for work if she didn’t get up now. She puts on her house slippers and goes into the bathroom, turns on the light and begins to brush her teeth. Thank God she had taken a shower the night before, now all she had to do was her hair and figure out what to wear. Remembering also that her face needed washing she did then walked out of the bathroom turning the light off and walked into her closet. She saw her work uniform already hanging on the door, she smiled and called out to her mother thanking her for ironing it for her. Hyun Jae needed to hurry or she just knew she would lose her job. Without paying looking she grabbed her favorite black Neckline Skater Dress. Stooping down she grabbed her peep toe ankle strap pumps (or what she like to call them – my favorite color in a heel), and carefully put all into her polka dotted cross bag. She had a piano performance after work and wouldn’t have time to return home and change. She went ahead and put on her uniform, eyeing her name tag on the side table she quickly put it on so she wouldn’t forget. Looked at her hair once more and ran her fingers through it checking for tangles, grabbed her work shoes, her polka dotted cross bag, her purse, phone, hair-tie, piano book and headed for the kitchen for a quick breakfast.

          Her mother, Liezel, makes oatmeal for the family every morning and Hyun Jae loves it because it’s filling and she wont be hungry till lunchtime. As she walked in her mother hands her a lunch container and her oatmeal in a small container. She told Hyun Jae that she would see her at 3 o’clock that afternoon for her performance. Hyun Jae nodded her head, thanked her mother and carefully balancing her food put her shoes on. As she heads out the door she kisses her 7 year old brother, Chung-Hee (who has polio) on the top of his head, he smiles as the door the front door closes. Hyun Jae cautiously puts her food in her cross bag along with her piano book and hurries to work which is just 5 miles down the road from her home. She breathed a sigh of relief when her workplace came into view and glanced at her phone, she had 5 minutes to spare. Going in her boss, Derik looked up and waved. Hyun Jae waved back and headed to the break room to sort her things and eats her oatmeal.. 

          It was 5:00 am on a Wednesday morning and Takuya was just getting off the treadmill from his morning jog.  He sighed as he headed to the shower, it was going to be a long day. With many things on his mind he decided to skip the hour long shower today, first there’s a 9am meeting with some board of directors about the new facility being built in Busan, then there was a famous pianist coming to help raise monies for a charity luncheon, and lastly he was going visit his parents in Jeju-do; well that’s if he had enough time after the luncheon which was at 3pm. Weird luncheons are supposed to be during lunch time, not almost supper time. Looking up at the shower clock he turn off the shower, dried off and changed into his favorite suit.