Chapter 29: Making freinds
When you least expect it, encountering soone suddenly can easily make you lose your calm and respond bluntly.
That’s exactly what happened to Rohit when he called out Seo-Yeon’s na—forgetting that they hadn’t formally been introduced. Her eyebrows shot up, a mix of surprise and suspicion.
"Excuse ... you know ?" Seo-Yeon asked in hesitant, fumbled English, her expression wary yet curious.
Realizing his slip, Rohit rubbed his temple and tried to recover with a casual shrug. "Ah... soone in my group happens to be your fan, so I got your na from them," he explained smoothly in English.
Seo-Yeon raised an eyebrow. "You Indians speak good English," she noted, impressed.
Rohit seized the opportunity. Switching to his shaky Korean, he asked, "So... Seo-Yeon-ssi, how co you’re here?"
She broke into laughter, caught off guard. No one expected him to know even a little Korean. Her guard imdiately dropped, and for a mont, it felt as if she were speaking to a long-lost friend.
Rohit chuckled inwardly, pleased with the reaction, but feigned innocence. "Sorry...
wrong sothing?" he added, his Korean still rough.
Seo-Yeon couldn’t control her laughter. After a few deep breaths, she regained her composure. "Never mind. But your accent... it’s like Japanese first, then Korean. I just couldn’t stop laughing. Sorry," she admitted, bowing quickly.
Rohit, inwardly impressed, bowed slightly in return. "Daijōbu, mondai nai,"(in jap ans ~It’s okay, there’s no problem), he said casually.
Seo-Yeon’s eyes widened. She could hardly believe that soone could speak more than two foreign languages—and sound so natural in Japanese. If not being a diplomat’s daughter she wouldnt had to bear the hard ways of going through learning them.
A spark ford in her eyes instantly, which got quickly replaced with her usual politeness.
Mixing Japanese with a faint Korean accent, she said, "Your English is so good, Rohit-sama."
This surprised Rohit. He hadn’t expected her to know Japanese either. Maintaining his composure, he smiled. "Good... you know it too, Seo-Yeon-san. By the way... how do you know my na?"
Seo-Yeon’s cheeks colored slightly as she twirled a strand of her hair. "I... I was there when you were teaching those bullies," she said in Japanese.
Rohit clicked instantly. "Ah... right."
She was indeed there at the corner, in specs with a ponytail and a shy attitude—but what was with the change in attitude? He paused deliberately, knowing that the issue could be sensitive.
As if pondering, there was a small stretch of silence and awkwardness in their conversation.
Feeling the change, she added quickly, still flustered, "Ah, my manners... can we be friends? I feel more comfortable talking to you. I... I don’t have any friends here."
Rohit’s smile widened. "Sure. I’d love to make you comfortable," he almost blurted, letting his inner thoughts slip.
Noticing her raised eyebrow, he tactfully corrected himself. "I an... I’d like your company." He stretched out his hand in a friendly gesture.
Seo-Yeon hesitated for a mont, then brushed aside her doubts and shook his hand. Her face brightened with excitent. "Good... now no need to be formal. You can call
just Seo-Yeo."
Rohit grinned. "Okay, then call
Rohit too."
She added, eager to lighten the mood, "How about we teach each other languages? I can help you with Korean, and you can help
with Hindi."
At this point, Rohit was already chard by her beauty and the softness of her hand. He wanted to prolong this pleasant feeling and said in a dramatic, playful tone, "Hmm... let
think... okay, no problem."
A sweet, familiar voice suddenly ca from the counter, breaking the chatter. It was the biller girl who had earlier taken Rohit’s side.
"Excuse , sir... the item is pending," she said.
Rohit nodded, recalling the oversight. "Ah, yes. Here, take my card." He handed over his credit card, having forgotten to collect money from Akhil, and knowing his current expenses were beyond his usual budget.
The biller girl expertly handled the package. Before handing it over, she added, "Sir, madam... if you don’t mind, may I ask a favor?"
Rohit and Seo-Yeon exchanged a glance and nodded in agreent.
Turning to Seo-Yeon, the biller girl spoke in fumbled Korean: "Seo-Yeon-ssi, I’m practicing Korean classes and need a teacher. I accidentally overheard your conversation... could you teach ?"
Seo-Yeon’s eyes widened. Another Korean-speaking Indian? Though the accent was imperfect, it was structured enough to impress her. Before she could ask further, the biller girl continued in English.
"Actually, I have a relative in Korea who could help
get a job. I used to be a nurse, but since I left abruptly, it’s been hard to return to my field. I really want to serve patients there."
Rohit nodded, speaking clearly in English to avoid confusion. "Yes, she’s an excellent nurse—I’ve been treated by her. I can vouch for her."
Seo-Yeon looked slightly overwheld. "Wait... you two know each other?"
To clarify, the biller girl added, "Yes. Actually, sir is my benefactor. He saved
from being assaulted. Because of him, I was able to escape—and by fortune, I happened to et him again."
Seo-Yeon’s expression softened. "Oh... that must have been so hard," she murmured in Korean.
Rohit quickly steered the conversation away, careful not to reveal his amnesia cover. "Alright... let’s not dwell on that. Your call, miss."
Seo-Yeon nodded and pulled out her father’s business card, handing it over. "Here’s the address. The second number is mine—you can call
now."
The biller girl dialed to give a missed call, and Seo-yeon, while saving the number, asked, "What’s your na, unnie?"
"It’s Namrata," the biller girl replied.
An expression of question mark appeared on Seo-yeon face as if trying to deciphering the na. Rohit, quick to read the room didnt shy away to solve her query.
Rohit chid in, using the sa language. "Ah... it ans patience."
Seo-Yeon pouted playfully. "You know all nas, huh? Care to tell, what’s mine?"
Rohit quickly added, "Beautiful, like a flower."
Namrata smiled warmly. "Auspiciously beautiful... like a lotus."
Delighted, Seo-Yeon bounded to the counter to hug her. "Aww, so sweet, unnie(elder sis). You’re going to be my favorite. My father’s a diplomat—I’ll ask him to help you with the visa."
Namrata bead and hugged her back. "Oh, thank you, sister! That would be a huge help."
Rohit, feeling a bit helpless, switched topics to retain his charm. "Hey, Namrata, how about learning Japanese? I can give free coaching too."
Namrata blushed and looked down. "Sure."
Seo-Yeon playfully grabbed her hand. "Hey, why are you taking my disciple?"
Rohit joked, "What’s wrong with having an additional sensei? Besides, it’s only right to be versatile—you stay independent."
Namrata joined in with a smile. "Yes, actually it is. And I’m thankful. I even know a few Japanese words from watching ani."
Rohit raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Na a few."
"Hmm... arigatou, matsu, yate kudasai..." Namrata said innocently.
Rohit laughed, almost uncontrollably. Namrata looked puzzled.
He tried to play it cool, though internally he knew why "yate kudasai" struck a familiar chord. Seo-Yeon noticed Namrata’s confusion and teased gently, "He must have seen a lot of ani or its types," as if reading him perfectly.
Rohit could only give a wry expression, inwardly amazed at how comfortably frank Seo-Yeon had beco, as if the language switch had given her wings.
Then Namrata’s next question brought everyone’s focus. "So... where do we et, and what ti?"
Rohit, with a mischievous grin, proposed in English, leaving both girls montarily stunned. "How about at my place? When the sun goes down... we party hard."
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