Chapter 14: You're My Girlfriend Until Tomorrow.
Mi-Cha lay on the floor of her penthouse, wearing a miniskirt and a crop top with thigh-high boots. She had been too drunk to take off before sleeping off.
Her phone rang, making her jerk up suddenly, hitting her head against the table. She checked the time, and it was barely 7 am. Without checking the caller ID, she rejected the call.
She couldn't take any calls at the moment, her head was aching, and her mouth felt parched. She also felt nauseous and couldn't talk. She raised her hand to touch the part of her head that had hit the table, and there was a little egg bump.
Mi Cha got up, took off her shoes, walked barefoot to her refrigerator, got a pack of ice, and held it against her head.
Her friends had thrown a farewell party for her at a club the previous night. They'd forced her to take several rounds of drink during a game of truth or dare, and she was currently paying the price for indulging them.
She looked around the penthouse that had been her home for the past four years, and she was surely going to miss it and the freedom that came with living alone. But she missed Korea, she missed home, and most significantly, she missed her mother.
Her modelling career would bloom in Korea just as it had bloomed in Los Angeles. She was particularly grateful to her mother for allowing her to be and do everything she wanted to.
She needed a cold bath and a cup of black coffee to wake her up. She walked into her bathroom and, without taking off her clothes, stepped into the shower and put it on full blast.
***********
A few minutes later, she sat down on her bed with a cup of coffee. She suddenly remembered rejecting a call and scrolled through her phone. She exclaimed immediately after she realised she had dropped her mother's ring.
She quickly dialled her mother's number, and Mrs Kim picked on the third ring.
"I'm sorry, mom. I didn't realise you were the caller," Mi Cha said immediately after her mother picked up the call.
"That's fine. Are you ok, darling? You don't sound good," Mrs Kim asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, and it's just a little hungover. My friends threw me a farewell party last night," She said grimly.
"Oh! Alright then. I'm sure you had fun. Have you gotten an outfit for the wedding, or do you intend to do so when you get here?" Mrs Kim asked.
"Why don't we just go shopping when I arrive? that way, we can have some mother-daughter moment alone," She said, making her mother smile.
"When last did you hear from your brother, Tan?" Mrs Kim asked, wanting to gossip with her daughter.
"Been a long while. I've been too busy to call him, and you know he never calls me."
"Well, your brother has got himself a girlfriend," Mrs Kim said excitedly.
"Really? that's great news. Have you seen her? What's she like?" Mi Cha asked in an equally excited manner.
"You'll meet her at the wedding. What time is your flight scheduled to leave California?" Mrs Kim asked, looking at her wristwatch.
"I'll be leaving for the airport soon. I'll call you as soon as I get to the airport... I love you, mom," Mi Cha said.
"Take care of yourself, darling. I love you too," Mrs Kim said, smiling happily as she dropped the call.
**********
Nana woke up from sleep feeling very hungry, she sniffed the air, and it smelt of bacon. She got up from the bed, wanting to see what Mi-Ok was preparing.
She got into the kitchen, and the sight before her made her eyes widen in surprise. Tan stood wearing a loose apron as he stirred whatever was in the pot.
"Where is Mi-Ok?" She asked grudgingly, not wanting to show him she was hungry.
"She will be coming in late today, and I told her I would be preparing the breakfast myself, so I asked her to rest." He said, looking at her apologetically.
"I'm sure you're hungry. Breakfast will soon be ready," He said.
"Is this some sort of apology?" She asked wearily.
"Yes, it is. And just so you know, I'm not apologising because I touched you or because I like you. I'm apologising because I was out of line in making you that offer," He said without meeting her eyes.
She didn't have the heart to be angry with him anymore, and she only wanted to eat. "What are we doing today?" She asked, changing the topic as she always did every time she was being apologised to.
"We will be going out on a dinner date. We've done virtually everything real couples do apart from a dinner date and...." He said, letting his words hang as he dished out the meal.
**********
Nana didn't want to look overdressed for dinner, so she applied a mild touch of pink lipstick, mascara, and eyeliner. She didn't know whether to twist her hair into a bun or wear it down. She looked through the clothes she had brought when coming over.
She picked a knee-length deep V-back black gown; Black was her favourite colour.
The gown hugged her skin perfectly; she matched it with a red pointed-toe pump and a red handbag.
She twisted her hair into a bun and stepped out to join Tan. He wore a well-fitted black suit with a red pocket filler which matched her outfit in a way that made her smile.
"You look so beautiful. I'm about to go blind," He said, covering his eyes as he worked towards her making her laugh.
"However, something is missing," He said as he assessed her.
"What is missing?" She asked, giving him an impatient look.
"This," He said, handing her a small jewelry box.
She opened it to find a pair of champagne-colored pearl earrings and a matching short-strand necklace.
"I can't accept this," She said, handing it back to him.
"Why?" He asked, raising a brow.
"Aside from the fact that it is too expensive, this isn't a real date. Only a real girlfriend should be given this sort of gift," She said, eyeing the box.
"You're my girlfriend until tomorrow. So please accept it. This is my way of showing my appreciation to you for putting up with me and my crappy attitude," He said, taking the box from her.
"Turn around, and I'll put it on you," He said calmly.
Nana turned around and exposed her neck for him to put the chain on while Tan held his breath as he slipped the necklace across her neck.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone