“Let me carry that for you.” I offer to take HyeRin’s bag with me. We’re back to Lyon after what seemed to be the most awkward night we had earlier.

“It’s okay, I’ll go home straight away.”

“I’ll go with you. I’ll take you back.”

HyeRin stares at me fiercely, “Game’s over, TaecYeon-ssi. We can go our separate ways now.” she takes her bag and hangs it on her right shoulder.

“I promise your uncle to bring you back to him, that’s what I will do.” I take the bag from her then grab her hand. “I insist.”

Both of us get inside of a taxi that piles up in front of Part-Dieu station. We sit in silence, as HyeRin choose to stare at the window the whole way towards her house, I don’t know what’s in her mind at this point and it frustrates me. For the first time in my life, I’m scared if I had done someone wrong. Shouldn’t I hug her last night? Wouldn’t it be more awkward if I rejected her? What she expected me to do? Will this cost me our friendship? Or worse, would it cost HyeMi a liver donor?

“We’re here.” HyeRin wakes me up from my daydream. She gets her wallet to pay the taxi fare then gets out of the car to get her things.

“HyeRin-a, did I do something wrong?” I stop her when she’s taking a few steps into her house.

“No, you didn’t.” she avoids my eyes, “well, we’re here and you send me back home as you promised samchon, so I guess this is farewell then. Au revoir.” She turns around and walks inside.

“What’s with the attitude?” I follow beside her.

“Nothing.”

“YA! You’ve been like this since this morning. If I had done you wrong, please tell me my mistake and I’ll apologize. Stop ing around like this.” I snap at her in the end.

She stops walking, “What I said last night, please forget that. Whatever happened last night, please erase that from your memory. Let’s pretend it never happened.” She’s still avoiding my eyes.

“But why?” I put my hand on her right shoulder and lift her face to see me. “We did nothing wrong last night.”

HyeRin bites her lips nervously, her face blushes while she’s still avoiding my gaze. “I’m too embarrassed to talk about that.”

“And throwing your tantrum at me makes it better?”

“I’m sorry.” She removes my hand from her shoulder and continues to walk.

“OMO! LOOK WHO’S HERE!” Park samchon welcomes us from the front porch. HyerRin speeds up her step to hug her uncle. “You should’ve called, I can pick you up.”

HyeRin forces her smile at him, “It’s okay, I’m here anyway. Samchon, I’m tired. I’ll take a long hot bath and take a nap if you don’t mind. I have a lot of pictures to show you later.”

“Sure, go ahead.” He kisses her cheek before letting his niece entering the house. “What about you, TaecYeon-ssi? Do you have some time to hang around with this old man?” He turns at me and spread his arms to hug me also.

“Samchon, he’s tired also. Just let TaecYeon go home.” HyeRin rejects the idea of me hanging around any longer.

“Sure, I can stay.” I reply to her uncle. HyeRin rolls her eyes and steps into the house leaving me with her uncle alone.

“I’ll grab some wine for us. Come in.”

I follow Park samchon inside, he tells me to put my stuff in the living room as he led me further into his house towards the back porch. He tells me to wait while he goes to the basement to take his wine collection.

“Senechaux 2004, my personal favorite.” Park samchon comes up with a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses.

“French wine. I’d try that.” I let him pour the wine and do little cheers before sipping it.

“She gave you a hard time, didn’t she?” he puts down his glass and leans on his chair.

“Animida, Park samchon.”

“You’re the first guy she ever brought home.” He looks afar and smiles, “Forgive her if she’s acting out, I know her best and I know how childish she can be sometimes.”

I