A Summer Duet in Korea

The next few weeks involved several video sessions with various members of the Hamburg orchestral company. Some were with the conductor, some were with the more senior string section members, and most were overseen by the concertmaster, who was a stern but very professional older gentleman. Every conference call Hye-Jin fussed over my presentation, and I was asked to perform a surprising amount of solo pieces. The concertmaster was a stickler however, but despite his critiques he seemed to think I had potential.

It was the middle of June when, through yet another video call, Greta finally confirmed that I was being offered a probationary position for the fall season, concurrent with my current contract ending in July. Were I to accept, I would need to contact her straight away to make arrangements. I somehow managed to keep my cool, and when I switched off the call, I was practically screaming as I raced into Hye-Jin's apartment. Her response was to scream right alongside me. Suffice to say, we had a celebratory session in bed almost immediately.

Later, I was laying on my back in Hye-Jin's bed with her curled up against me under my arm, her finger tracing my stomach under the sheet. We were both quite sweaty, and I was breathing heavily. I was still quivering in a post-orgasmic stupor, but Hye-Jin was oddly quiet. I idly stroked her shoulder, but she wasn't really responding. It was minutes later before she spoke up.

"Ella, are you leaving Korea next month?" she whispered tensely.

My stomach dropped about five feet, yet I lay still. I lightly gripped her shoulder. "It's been so hectic for the past couple of months, I haven't really processed it," I responded.

"You didn't answer my question."

I turned my head and stared at the wall. "I know. I know."

Hye-Jin shifted as she raised her head into her hand, still laying on her side. "I know this opportunity in Germany is good." She bit her lower lip. "But have you thought about staying in Korea?"

"I don't know. Teaching is fun and all, and so is Wonju and all ex-pats." I sighed. "But I knew it was only temporary. Not to mention I doubt your father would want me to stay. More than anything though, I want to perform. And I love performing with you. Maybe you could...come with me to Germany?"

Hye-Jin's eyes became downcast. "I don't know what I would do outside of Korea. And I don't have enough money saved to move anywhere."

"Even with what we earned doing the Lotte Mart shows?"

Hye-Jin rolled on her back, "Not enough."

It was silent for several minutes as we lay next to each other, staring at the ceiling and not bothering to cover ourselves. I held her hand as she squeezed back, but neither of us said a word. We were both lost in our thoughts, and trying not to contemplate what the next month would bring. I utterly failed, however, and eventually faded to sleep through sheer exhaustion and worry.

For the rest of June, it was tense between the two of us. We spent practically every second together, but now there was always a tinge of sadness. I constantly would think about how it was the last time we visited a certain restaurant, or walked through a certain park. Wonju felt like a second home; a home that I flourished in, a home where Hye-Jin was waiting for me with cups of hot tea and music. I knew I would have to confirm with Greta soon, but everyday I found a reason to stall.

I had a one-on-one meeting scheduled on the last day of June with Mr. Lee, to make arrangements for the end of my contract. Since the KBS show, he had lightened up quite a lot, and it had mostly been as friendly between us as it had been during Seollal. It was strictly professional though; nothing was ever said about Hye-Jin. I think he mostly swept that issue under the rug for the sake of the office.

"Ah, Erra, come in please," said Mr. Lee as I stepped into his office. I sat in the chair before his desk, neatly folding my hands in my lap while Mr. Lee pulled out some paperwork. "I'm thinking we did not speak about next year. I know you were busying,"

"I know, sir. There was...a lot going on."

"I'm understanding. But I am thinking that if you are wanting to renewing your contract...it is good."

My eyebrows raised in surprise. "You...would want me to renew?"

Mr. Lee cleared his throat. "You are a good teacher. And your bringing more students to Joy Academy is very good. I will be happy if you stayed. And maybe it can be you play Lotte Mart again?"

"I'm very flattered, sir, and thank you for considering me. However," I took a deep breath and steeled myself. "However, I've been offered a position in Hamburg, Germany in an orchestral company. I am considering accepting the offer."

Mr. Lee pursed his lips, nodding slowly. I saw him fidget with the visa renewal form on his desk, as he quietly slipped it back into a folder. "I see," he said, mulling the words.

"It's a very good opportunity, and I would be very sad to leave Joy Academy. I've enjoyed working here very much. Thank you for everything." I caught myself from blabbering on more than that, as Mr. Lee looked down at his desk and continued to nod.

"It is unfortunately. We will be sad to see you going." He genuinely looked disappointed.

I gave a tight-lipped smile, and stood up to leave. Before I could reach the door knob, however, he spoke up.

"What about Hye-Jin?" he asked, his voice rasping slightly.

My hand dropped to my side, and I turned to face Mr. Lee. I folded my hands in front of me protectively. "I...I...don't want to leave her behind."

"I'm not...understanding between you and Hye-Jin. I want to not know, and she is an adult. But she speaks good of you. And she is happy again. You are not wanting to leave her?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't. But I don't know what to do. I love her so much, but --" I cut myself off sharply. "I mean, she's...she's my...best friend."

He raised his hand, "I said, I am not wanting to know. But I am wanting Hye-Jin to be happy. And your leaving will make her not happy."

"I know. And...I'm sorry, Mr. Lee. I'm sorry about everything,"

Mr. Lee smiled wistfully, and once again nodded. "I understand. Please return to your class." He coughed slightly before adding, "thank you again, Ella."

I turned to leave, but did a double take at realizing he said my name correctly for the first time in a year. "Excuse me, sir?"

Mr. Lee coughed again. "I'm sorry for my pronouncing, I said thank you, Erra."

Despite myself, I chuckled sardonically, and left his office. When I sat back down at my desk, I once again stared at the previous email Greta had sent me asking for confirmation, wiping away a stray tear as I did so.

When I arrived back at my apartment building, I threw my bag into my unit and went to Hye-Jin's door as usual. However, I jiggled the handle and was surprised to find that her door was locked. I knocked on the door softly, but heard no sound from inside. A feeling of anxiety washed over me; I was inching towards pulling a trigger, and Hye-Jin would be the victim. I returned to my room, and sat morosely on the edge of my bed. It was so unusual for Hye-Jin to not be working in her kitchen or poring over some sheet music when I arrived home, so I simply sat, staring at the floor, my stomach a knot.

Could I do another year in Wonju? Would I be fine putting up with the stress of managing rooms of rowdy children, or playing violin for random shoppers in a market for the next year? Sure, the money was good, and the hijinks with the Wonju ex-pats was a blast. Having conversations about Africa with Maretha, or having days of gossip and shopping with Richard -- I had a life here! I met such a wide array of people since I arrived overseas, and I was no longer some simple Iowa girl. With all of the goodbye outings the Wonju ex-pats would throw as us foreigners cycled in and out through our ESL gigs, did I really want to take my turn just yet?

And I had Hye-Jin. More than anything, I had Hye-Jin. How could I just run off to yet another country and leave the only woman I had ever been in love with behind? Even an amazing chance to play in a company would be hollow without Hye-Jin. A year ago I couldn't bear to look at my violin, but she had reignited my love of playing again. I wouldn't have had any opportunities if I hadn't begun having my duets with her.

All of these thoughts were plowing through my mind, when I heard light footsteps in the hallway. My ears perked up immediately, and before I could stand there was a tapping on my door. My heart skipped a beat.

"Come in, Hye-Jin!"

She stepped through, smiling brightly with her eyes fixed on me. "Hello, Ella my love."

Without saying anything, I leaped forward and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her close. She hugged me back, the smell of her shampoo filling my nostrils. It constantly astounded me how beautiful she was.

"I was surprised that you weren't home. I...missed you," I murmured into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Ella. I actually just met with my father. He said you were not renewing your contract."

My lips trembled. "I'm sorry, Hye-Jin! I was going to say something, but we were meeting about my contract, and I told him about the orchestra, but I can go back! I can sign up for another year! I don't want to lose you! I love you, Hye-Jin!"

Hye-Jin pulled away from me, but still had her arms around me. "You would give up being in an orchestra for me?"

"Of course I would!" I exclaimed, tears pouring down my face. "I know I complain about my job and about Korea a lot, but I don't want to be anywhere where you aren't. I can still work, save up more money. I'm sure another opportunity can come around. I just don't want to lose you!"

It was Hye-Jin's turn to tear up. "I don't want to lose you either! Oh, Ella!" Hye-Jin pulled me close and kissed me, as I whimpered into her mouth, I pulled her desperately close to me as we kissed and kissed, standing there in my little apartment. It was quite some time before we broke off for some air, but we still had our arms around each other.

I smiled softly at Hye-Jin, as I wiped a tear from my eye. "I suppose I should tell Mr. Lee to get the renewal forms ready tomorrow."

Hye-Jin smiled back. "I don't think you'll need to."

I raised my eyebrow. "Eh? What do you mean?"

"I told you I just met with Appa," she said as she opened her handbag. "He told me that you were going to accept the offer, but he had something for me." Hye-Jin then pulled out a rather thick wad of bills out of her purse, which looked freshly minted and were still sealed, as if they had been just withdrawn from a bank.

I gawked at her. "What's this wad of cash?"

"I had a serious talk with Appa. He doesn't understand, but he wants me to be happy. He said that if I wanted to be with you, I should. And he is willing to pay for an airline ticket...and a bit extra to help me travel. It's nothing to him really. You know he makes a lot of money from his academy, right?"

I was still wide-eyed at the money that Hye-Jin just casually held in her hand. I was even more floored that Mr. Lee, in his own way, was giving his blessing, even if he couldn't say it outloud. "Hye-Jin," I mumbled, "I don't know what to say..."

"Well, would you be okay if I came with you to Germany?" she asked, coyly.

"Oh, Hye-Jin, of course!" This time it was me who desperately kissed her as the tears kept pouring out.

***

Epilogue

I squeezed in the chair in front of the mirror, finally getting my turn to fix my lipstick. It was hectic in the makeup room, with the other ladies of the orchestra flitting about, fussing with their hair and their outfits. There was a smell of pine in the air, and strings of lights and tinsel decorating the room. Tonight was the final performance for the Hamburg Christmas series before the company shut down for the holidays. I was looking forward to the break as I had been especially busy this series, having been promoted to second chair. I ignored the din of the room while I applied color to my lips and adjusted my black dress, already mentally going over the next few weeks of our hiatus.

There was going to be a brief stopover in Paris to meet up with Jasper and Fiona for the first time since they returned to the UK nearly three years ago. After our reunion, we would be flying across the Atlantic and eventually to Iowa for Christmas with my parents. Of course, once Christmas was over it would be another trip across the Pacific to Korea for New Year's. On top of this, there were still a lot of holiday tasks to take care of before we left for the airport. I idly hoped that Maretha received my Christmas card down in Johannesburg; I hated being late with my cards and I wanted to make sure it arrived before I started galavanting around the world.

"Achtung an alle! Probeplätze bitte!" shouted a familiar voice with a distinct accent from across the room. Hye-Jin stood at the door wearing her headset and holding her clipboard like a shield. She began herding the ladies out the door, as our eyes met briefly. We shared a smile.

Our first year in Hamburg had been difficult; I had been kept extremely busy as an introductory member of the violin section, while Hye-Jin had found random jobs here and there; private Korean lessons and piano lessons for the most part. Learning the language was an ordeal for both of us, though Hye-Jin was much more proficient than I was. I still fell back on English, and thankfully most Germans were fairly fluent. I was eventually able to get Hye-Jin a position as an usher, though she quickly rose in the ranks and her talent at composing arrangements got her noticed by the director. She had been the assistant to the musical director for the past three seasons, and was thriving.

She was dressed in her black turtleneck and slacks, her hair pulled back into a ponytail like she meant business. This season she had been a primary contributor to the music lineup for the Christmas programs; Korean pop music had exploded in Germany, and Hye-Jin was on hand to suggest and arrange orchestral versions of Korean Christmas songs. Suffice to say, the German audiences loved the newfound Christmas pieces. She was determined for it to go off without a hitch, and so far had been quite successful.

Hye-Jin had managed to shoo most of the musicians out the door, and her free hand went to my shoulder. "Everything okay, Ella my love?"

"I forgot my sheet music at home again, so I had to run to the apartment and rush right back."

"I told you not to leave them on my piano! Were you able to eat before coming back?"

I gave a sheepish grin. "Um, I ate a bag of Haribo gummies..."

"Oh, Ella," scolded Hye-Jin. "You'll be hungry by the end of the show."

"I know, I know. How about the ramen place after the show? My treat?"

"Okay," Hye-Jin nodded. "I need to check the percussion section, please come see me once you have your violin. I may have to shift you over two seats tonight." She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before marching to the door. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I replied.

I was the last person still in the dressing room as I watched her leave. In a flash, I pulled my violin case onto the makeup table and quickly unfastened it. I opened the small compartment where I kept my resin block to peek at the primary reason for our stopover in Paris.

I obsessively checked the small velvet ring box about a dozen times a day since I purchased it two weeks ago. It just so happened that my violin case was the best place to hide an engagement ring from Hye-Jin, so it was always on my person. It was funny; all my life I assumed that traditionallyI would be the one to get proposed to, but I guess I would have to be me to take the initiative since we weren't exactly "traditional." I smiled as I slipped the ring box back into its hiding spot and tucked the violin case back behind some jackets.

With one final look in the mirror, and grinning the whole time, I exited to find my violin, my Hye-Jin, and my place in the orchestra. It was definitely going to be a good year.

The End