23
AfterthesixthepisodeofI Loved You, Eunjae concluded that it wasn't a drama he'd seen before. It seemed improbable that he'd forget an entire carousel on a beach, for starters. Why was it even there? Where were the other rides? Had they built this carousel for the drama, or was this a real location? Eunjae hoped quite fervently that it wasn't. Jungwoo would want to visit.
“And see,” said Mr. Han, who sat on Eunjae's left, “this was where he met the girl when they were kids. But he didn't remember that, of course.”
Mrs. Han patted Eunjae's right arm. “They come back later. It's where she dies.”
“Oh,” Eunjae said. “I… should've seen that coming.”
A brisk knock sounded at the front door. Jiyeon, who always alerted them before using her key. Eunjae figured this was to ensure that no one mistook her arrival for a home invasion. It had been explained to him that such an event would trigger what Denny cryptically referred to as ‘Red Protocol.’
Eunjae leapt up from the couch even before Jiyeon came in, knowing she'd be loaded down with bags. During the time he'd spent at the Hans’ apartment, he'd rarely known her to show up empty handed. Peaches that were on sale when she stopped at the grocery store, thick slices of chocolate cake in a plastic clamshell, a magazine full of celebrity gossip for Mrs. Han. The random treats were a daily occurrence.
Jiyeon surrendered the evening’s haul to Eunjae. She shook her car keys at the TV. “What’s this? Are you making Ryan watchI Loved Youagain?”
“It's research,” her father replied.
Mrs. Han agreed. “For the amnesia.”
“But you already spoiled the ending for him yesterday. Three different times.”
“Important to make sure he's prepared. Nobody wants a surprise like that. Boom! Pretty girl is dead on the beach. Boom! The pony ride keeps turning. Boom! The hero is crying. So stressful!”
“That is stressful,” admitted Eunjae.
Denny strolled out of his room with a teetering pile of blankets. “Noona, you got the popcorn?”
“Yeah, and some candy. You need both for a movie night.”
“Aigoo! Movie night, how nice!”
“Not for you!” barked Denny. “Everyone over the age of sixty is going to bed. We need the big TV for this. It's part of Ryan’s education.”
While Denny chased the Han parents out of the living room — they accepted their early bedtime with good grace — Eunjae trailed after Jiyeon with the shopping bags. She was wearing the blazer covered in poppies again, red petals a burst of riotous color against the kitchen’s neutral grays and whites.
“So, Ryan Kim. What did you do today? Other thanSad K-Drama Hour with Joey and Lizzie.”
“Jeannie showed me how to clean the waffle irons. She was out of soda candy so we ate a whole bag of Hi-Chews.” Jeannie had also confessed to Eunjae that, in elementary school, she’d wholeheartedly believed Denny Han was the President of the United States. (“He had to be the President, right? Secretly. There was no other explanation.”)
Jiyeon began unloading her purchases. “I should grab her some candy tomorrow. The Asian market’s just around the corner from work. Did you finally get to meet Evan today?”
“Ah, yeah. I learned everything there is to learn about the California two-spot octopus.” Evan was the other part-time Wanna Waffle employee. An aspiring marine biologist, he worked slightly fewer hours than Jeannie due to his packed extracurricular schedule.
“No way. Evan talked to you? Like you guys had an actual conversation?”
Eunjae nodded. “It’s great that he has an internship at the aquarium. Didn’t seem like he enjoyed their cafeteria much, though.”
“He told you what he thinks of the food?” Jiyeon’s eyes were wide with awe. “Explain what you did to make Evan like you so much. Tell me right now.”
“I… sat there?”
“I’ve known that kid since he was this tall,” Jiyeon said, gesturing at about hip-height, “and I’ve gotten maybe two sentences out of him per day, max. I think you have some kind of superpower.”
“Maybe it was too much chatting, though. I didn’t make it to the last Molly Merriweather book. I think Denny might send me to bed early, too.”
“Please,” Jiyeon replied, handing Eunjae a candy bar and laughing. “He’s never read the last book either.”
“Really?”
