A Spring Duet in Korea

Hello everyone, and welcome to the long delayed newest chapter of my Duet series. I realize it is well past spring at this point, but I hope you can forgive the lateness of my latest entry.

Please be aware that this is the third story in a series, and I would strongly recommend reading the autumn and winter sections of the story. I sincerely believe you will not be disappointed, and this story will be waiting for you. I welcome any praise or constructive critiques; in fact, the more I receive the more motivated I am to conclude this series! Please enjoy!

MaiaEmpire

Being an American, I only had the barest idea of what Boxing Day was, but nevertheless I resented having to go to work and sit in a faculty meeting while it was happening. I worked in an English school in Wonju, South Korea, so they had even less esteem for what the day after Christmas was than I did. Our boss insisted that his hogwan, or English academy, stay open for the space between Christmas and New Year's, which was an anathema to the other foreign teachers who listlessly occupied the same conference table that I did. They were livid at having to work during Boxing Day, and each dealing with hangovers of various levels. Mr. Lee, my boss and the only one with any energy in the room, stood at the head of the room detailing some new textbooks, or materials, or whatever this meeting was about.

My brain was thousands of miles away. Yesterday had been my first Christmas away from home, and a lot had occurred. My girlfriend Hye-jin -- god, it still felt good saying that -- and I had organized a holiday performance with me on the violin and her on the piano. The thrill of playing publicly for the first time in ages was still buzzing through my head, even though being at work on the following day threatened to kill the high. And what was more is that we had confessed that we loved each other for the first time. Honestly, best Christmas ever.

"Erra, please may you say your opinion on the conversation textbook?"

My eyes popped open at the sound of hearing my mispronounced name as the table turned their heads to me. All pleasant thoughts of Hye-jin and I playing music together fled from my head as I realized that I had no clue what my boss was talking about. Most of our meetings involving the foreign English teachers sort of devolved into simply waiting for the meetings to end without any input on our part. Kind of par for the course in a Korean office.

"Um, I'm sorry Mr. Lee," I mumbled, "which conversation book?"

I saw a sour look from behind Mr. Lee's glasses. "The English Talk 5 book. You did not look at it?"

I fumbled through the small stack of sample books in front of me. I didn't see this particular book in my stack, so my co-worker Richard, on my left, slid his copy to me. I flipped through it awkwardly, really only seeing it for the first time.

"I'm sorry, sir," I meekly explained. "I haven't had a chance to look through this one..."

"It is important that we know these book, Erra," Mr. Lee explained as he began to lecture me. "The next year we will use these texts, and everyone must be familiarize!"

"What I think she means," interjected Maretha, the head English teacher who was sitting next to Mr. Lee, "is that Ella teaches the third grade classes, and English Talk 5 is for the fifth grade."

Mr. Lee glowered for a moment, followed by a gruff nod. "Fine. Very fine. You will make sure every teacher is familiarize with every book."

"Of course, Mr. Lee," replied Maretha diplomatically.

Thank god Maretha had my back, because I wasn't sure if I could have answered a question about even my textbooks. Mr. Lee went right back to having a one-man discussion about the textbooks for the upcoming year, though I pushed aside thoughts of Hye-jin and music in case I was called on again. Nearly a half hour later, we were dismissed as we collected the materials to bring back up to the office. I was gathering my things to follow everyone out the door, when Mr. Lee spoke up from his chair.

"Erra, one speaking, please."

I assumed he meant one moment, so I hugged my notebooks to my chest and prepared for a dressing down. "Yes sir, Mr. Lee?" I gulped.

"I'm knowing you were busying with music playing yesterday in the show," he began. "I wish I could have visited the show."

I hadn't actually invited or even mentioned to my boss that we were performing on Christmas. It's not that I hated Mr. Lee or anything, I just felt uncomfortable having my manager around during my free time. He seemed to have a narrow focus on his business as well as this strange arrogance about his English ability even in the face of his native-speaking employees. I didn't know how he found out about our show, but I was hoping that he wouldn't have discovered I hadn't invited him. I guess word travels fast.

"Oh, it was just a little performance--"

"However," he interrupted, "I do not want anything outside of Joy Academy to make effect on Joy Academy. Please pay closer attention to materials for the classrooms. More focusing. Are you understand?"

I blinked for a moment. It usually took a few seconds to process what Mr. Lee said. "Yes, sir. I would never let anything outside of the school interfere with my responsibilities at Joy."

"Fine. Very fine." He waved me off, returning his attention to the paperwork before him. "Go to class, please."

The rest of the day was tiring, and I felt like I was running on fumes. I kept my head down, praying that Mr. Lee wasn't horribly offended by me not inviting him, and went about my day. Over half of my students didn't even show up for classes, which meant we mostly played games. I seriously questioned the logic of even opening the school at this time of year. Eventually, the day ended and I trudged home to my small apartment building. Of course, I only briefly stopped by my unit to drop off my gear, and immediately went to Hye-jin's apartment, next to my own.

Hye-jin was in her little kitchen area, stirring something in a pot. Whatever she was making, it filled the room with a delicious smell. She had gotten the day off, the lucky girl, and seemed to have used the day productively judging by the sheet music scattered about the room. She was dressed in a loose pink shirt and white leggings, her long black hair swept over her right shoulder. Even when she was lounging, she managed to look elegant.

"Hello Ella, my love," she smiled at me.

I stepped over to her, and we shared a kiss. It dawned on me how great it was to come home to someone after a rough day at work.

"Hey, sweetie," I murmured. "What are you making? It smells wonderful!"

"Kimchi jjigae. Trying a new recipe. How was school today?"

I leaned against the counter. "I really, really don't understand why we bothered to have class today. We pretty much played hangman and matching-card games today, since most of the students were absent."

"Aw, poor Ella," teased Hye-jin as she gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "I have some water for tea boiling, why don't you sit and relax?"

Grinning at her, I wandered over to the low ornate table in the center of the room, and plopped down on one of the cushions on the floor. I cleared off some of the music sheets that she had left spread over it. It looked as if she had been scribbling notes all over them over the course of the day.

"You certainly have been busy today," I remarked as I scanned her sheet music. "Just one day after our first show and you're working on something else?"

Hye-jin placed a lid over her boiling jjigae, and joined me at the table with her blue teapot. She placed two cups on the table as she sat on the floor across from me.

"Well, I may have something. Mr. Hyun stopped by today to bring my keyboard back and we talked a little."

Mr. Hyun was the owner of Blues Sanjo, the venue we performed at the night before. "What did you talk about?" I asked.

Hye-jin placed a scoop of her tea mix into her pot before closing it. "He really enjoyed the show last night. He also said that maybe we could perform there again. If we wanted to. He would even pay us."

I smiled and shrugged. "I'm not sure if my visa allows me to have side jobs outside of my hogwan. I did the Christmas show for fun."

"Sure," murmured Hye-jin, "but I could use some extra money. I don't have a well-paying English-teaching job like you."

I sighed. "I suppose if they paid you, and you happened to generously pay for dinner... well, things happen."

"That was my thought," smirked Hye-jin. "It wasn't just Mr. Hyun who I talked to, though."

"What do you mean?"

Hye-jin gently shook the pot as it began to steep. "I didn't know, but apparently there was a friend of Mr. Hyun's at the performance, who is a manager at the Lotte Mart."

Lotte Mart was at the center of one of the big shopping areas in Wonju. It was ostensibly a department store, though it was more like a marketplace with little boutiques surrounding it and a common area. I went there often for groceries and household stuff.

"The manager of Lotte Mart was at Blue Sanjo?"

Hye-jin shrugged. "I think he likes classical music. And I think he is interested in having us play there."

"Play, like, for the customers at the grocery store?"

"Well yes," Hye-jin acknowledged as she checked the tea. "A little performance, maybe on Sundays when there are many people. He thinks it will attract customers."

I leaned back against Hye-jin's bed. "That's kind of...strange. Not bad, just odd. Maybe it's just me. Playing music for grocery shoppers?"

"I told Mr. Hyun I would consider it. Lotte Mart is willing to pay well, and," Hye-jin glanced aside nervously, "I would like to make a little extra money if I can."

Perhaps I forgot just how much more, comparatively, I earned than Hye-jin. As a foreign teacher, I was paid well and had so much spare cash. The low cost of living in Wonju meant that most of my money just got tucked away or sent back home. Hye-jin didn't have the luxury of being overpaid like I did, and was always conscious of her finances. Maybe it was a common thing for musicians to play in shopping centers in Korea, and if Hye-jin wanted to do this to make some extra money, I could afford to be a performing monkey for a little while.

"Well, I'd have to clear it with my school."

"Of course."

"If they say it's okay, then maybe we could do this."

"That sounds good," assured Hye-jin as she began to pour tea into our respective cups, "it wouldn't start for a few weeks. I will meet with the manager next week. Mr. Hyun gave me his card."

I lifted my cup. "You realize I'm only considering this because I love you, right?"

Hye-jin smiled over her cup of tea. "I love you, too. And I love performing with you."

I sighed. "Well, I can't argue with that. I guess we'll be busy after New Year's."

We each took a sip of tea, enjoying the moment. "Speaking of New Year's," Hye-jin piped up, "did you have any plans?"

"Nothing specific. Probably going out with the Wonju expats. I assumed you were going to be out of town with your family, so I didn't make any specific plans."

Hye-jin shook her head. "I'll be in Wonju for that New Year's. I meant Korean New Year's."

Seollal, the Korean New Year's celebration, is one of the most important holidays in South Korea. January 1st is officially the start of the new year, but traditionally they go by the Chinese lunar calendar. This coming year Seollal would land in the second week of January, and the entire country is affected. Koreans usually empty out of the cities and head back to their hometowns. It lasts three days, and it involves big meals, praying to ancestors, and visiting family. I had read about it, but obviously hadn't experienced it yet.

"Oh right, I mixed up the holidays!" I slapped my head. "Damn, I thought I was getting three days off in less than a week," I moaned.

Hye-jin laughed. "Well, I'm talking about Seollal. If you don't have plans, do you want to come to my grandparents' in Gangwon with me?"

I felt a little pang of panic. I was still getting used to the idea I was in a lesbian relationship. Hell, that I was a lesbian full stop. It was one thing to come out to the Wonju expats, yet quite another to Koreans. South Korea, especially in rural areas like Wonju, was painfully conservative, and gay relationships were strongly frowned upon. I could get away with it in my little foreigner bubble, but Hye-jin couldn't. She had been the one to suggest we stay on the down low, and I was perfectly willing to do so. But at the same time, it was refreshing to actually tell people that we were dating, and I knew Hye-jin didn't have that luxury with people she was close to.

"I would like to, but aren't you worried about your family finding out about...us?"

Hye-jin shrugged. "You would just be my foreigner friend with no family in Korea. They wouldn't mind if you came with me."

"Right. Just your foreigner friend," I echoed blankly.

"I know it's not fair, but it's Korea. I just...want you to meet my family. Even if we can't say the truth." Hye-jin shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe it's too much."

"No, I know how it goes. I would like to meet your family, even if it was just as some crazy foreign girl you adopted for the holiday." I let out a breath. "You know what, to hell with it. I'd love to go to Gangwon with you."

Hye-jin clapped her hands together. "It will be fine! They will think having an American at Seollal will be interesting!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yep, just some wacky foreigner sideshow. Why don't you go check on the jjigae, my dear?"

The rest of the week was fairly normal, though there was a continued drop in student attendance. I actively avoided Mr. Lee, though he didn't seem off-put or offended about how I didn't invite him to the Christmas show. Just his usual business-minded self focusing on enrollment and other aspects of his business. Honestly, if I could stay off of his radar until January when I had a chance to approach him about Hye-jin's scheme, I'd be just fine. I was still trying to figure out how.

New Year's Eve was a blast, of course, with the Wonju expats organizing a pub crawl. My co-worker Fiona attempted to christen the evening as The Twelve Pubs of Christmas, though it was pointed out that Christmas was a week ago. Regardless, an attempt was made at hitting a dozen bars in Wonju, and by the time midnight hit we were at bar number six. Hye-jin pulled me into a secluded corner for our midnight kiss, and I was glad for the privacy because I wasn't eager to put on a show for the group or any Koreans that might gawk at two pretty girls kissing. We didn't last much longer after twelve, and we snuck home when the group migrated to bar number eight. I heard later that my co-worker Stuart along with one of the Canadians and one of the Aussies actually made it to bar number twelve around daybreak.

A couple of days after New Year's, Hye-jin met with the manager of Lotte Mart, an energetic man named Mr. Park. The two of them discussed what they wanted to do, namely to have a little entertainment on the weekends to make shopping at Lotte Mart more entertaining for the customers. Hye-jin showed him a few of the pieces she had been working on, and he was very excited. He immediately insisted on having Hye-jin and me audition officially once Seollal finished.

The pressure was on me to ask my boss about potentially performing outside of my hours at Joy Academy. He was very difficult to corner; once the new semester began he was always busy with the Korean staff, and the time he had with us foreign teachers was always fleeting. Jasper and Fiona were completing their year contract in February, so Mr. Lee was focused on securing their replacements leaving no real opportunity to meet with him. And if I was being honest, I wasn't in any hurry to ask his permission. Lately, it seemed like everything I was doing at school was wrong to him, and I hoped it wasn't the result of him being offended over his lack of invite on Christmas.

For the weeks leading up to Seollal, Hye-jin went over the traditions and customs. Her grandparents lived to the northeast in the mountains of Gangwon province, and it was there that her family congregated every year. I felt a bit torn; on the one hand, I was excited to be able to experience a genuine cultural and family event firsthand. On the other hand, I was uncomfortable about simply being "Hye-jin's American friend." I know it was silly, seeing as how we had only been seeing each other for a few months, but a wistful part of me wished that I could be an official part of her family celebration. Still, I was looking forward to the trip.

Joy Academy was closed on the day before Seollal celebrations, which was good because I had heard that traffic jams were an issue during Seollal. Hye-jin said that her father would be driving us to Gangwon province, and he would be picking us up in the early morning that day. I sat on Hye-jin's bed with my travel bag as she finished packing her bags, random packages, and gifts from Lotte Mart she was bringing with. I was very anxious about meeting Hye-jin's father. I knew that her mother had died when she was in middle school, but she never spoke much about her father. I strangely hoped that I would make a good impression on him, even though for the next few days I would merely be her American friend.

Hye-jin received a text announcing our ride was parked downstairs. I must have had a nervous look on my face, because Hye-jin gave me a warm hug assuring me that everything would be okay. I did have the presence of mind to elicit a long, lingering kiss from her as well, since that was probably something that wouldn't be happening so openly this weekend. I slung my backpack onto my shoulders, grabbed a few of Hye-jin's packages, and followed her downstairs to the street. My heart did a flip when I saw the car and its driver.

Hye-jin's father was Mr. Lee, my boss and the owner of Joy Academy.

"Ah, hello Erra," he said rather brightly, which seemed very unlike him. I was used to his business-like demeanor every day in the office. "I'm being happy you can come with us."

Still shocked, I mumbled a thank you as Mr. Lee took the packages from my hand to load into the car for me. I turned to Hye-jin with my eyes wide and incredulous, and my look must have scared her a little because she took a half step backward. Mr. Lee opened the trunk for us before returning to the driver's seat, and Hye-jin and I loaded our bags inside. Hye-jin still looked a bit puzzled from the stunned look I was giving her.

The two of us climbed into the back seat, where Mr. Lee announced we were going to stop to get gas before we hit the expressway. I was dead silent as Hye-jin and Mr. Lee conversed in Korean, as my mind raced over how I was going to navigate this holiday. Just outside of the Wonju city limits, Mr. Lee pulled into an LPG travel station, and I rather bluntly insisted that Hye-jin and I use the restroom before we hit the road properly. Mr. Lee began filling the tank, as I practically dragged my dear Hye-jin into the building.

"What is wrong?" asked Hye-jin when the restroom door closed behind us.

"What is wrong!? Why didn't you mention that my boss, the one I constantly complain about, and I remind you, has control over my work visa, is your father!?"

"I thought you knew."

"How was I supposed to know!?"

Hye-jin shrugged. "My family name is Lee."

"Half of the people in Korea have the family name Lee!"

"Well, and my apartment, too. Appa owns the building. That's why I am living there and why foreign teachers live there too."

I leaned against the wall. "He mentioned our show at work. Did you invite him to our Christmas show?"