☙✨💖✨❧

“What should we watch?” Ji Min asked once she and Won Woo were at the movie theater. The walk there didn’t take that long since they were a couple of blocks from it at the park.

“We should watch something scary.” He said casually while looking at the movie titles.

“No way, are you insane?! I hate scary movies!” She looked up at him with a frown.

“Exactly.” He chuckled. “You should build up your courage, scary movies are nothing compared to all the messed-up that’s going on in the real world.”

“But…” she watched him point at a movie title. The title even looked scary itself. “No.”

“C’mon!” He nudged her playfully. “It’s just a movie!”

“No!” She continued to protest. She started to recall the few times he successfully talked her into watching scary movies with him in the past. While she did have a few nightmares afterward, she was happy that she could be there doing something he liked. Now they are older, and it’s clear he has more friends now… did she really have to go through it again?!

“I’ll be right there the whole time. I’ll protect you from the nonexistent monsters.” He teased. “We were going to watch two movies, right? Why don’t we both pick something to watch, I’ll watch your pick if you watch mine?”

Ji Min thought about it for a moment, it was hard to ignore the fact that Won Woo might actually enjoy watching the scary movie he wanted to watch, and she did say she was paying for it, if she said no now he’d probably go on about how she never keeps her word. She was hoping this would make up for it since she asked him to show her around so early in the morning, and the fact they kept bumping into his friends. He was teased for being out with her. For someone like him, he’s been through a lot today, the least she could do was watch the movie he wanted to see with him, even if it was a scary one and might give her nightmares later. When she looked at the movie titles again, she saw the one she wanted to watch and told herself that it wouldn’t be so bad if they watched her movie last.

“Fine.” She finally caved, and he grinned in victory. It was nice to see him in better moods compared to before. “We’ll watch your movie first.” She added and gestured for him to follow her to the counter. She bought the tickets for his movie and then bought the tickets for her movie. The clerk behind the counter gave them some interesting looks and Ji Min figured it was because of the contrast in movies they wanted to see. She would be giving interesting looks too if she were in their shoes! Once they had their tickets, they moved on to buy their snacks before the scary movie would start. They had about fifteen minutes.

“Let’s not buy too much for this one.” Ji Min muttered beside him. “All the popcorn might end up on the floor when I start flinching because I’ll be scared out of my damn mind.”

“I agree, it’d be such a waste.” He nodded and continued to scan the showcase of snacks to pick from. He eventually picked something out and got a drink to go with it, but Ji Min got nothing. “You don’t even want anything to drink?” He asked after she paid for it.

“I don’t want to spill that either when I start flinching.” She explained in a pouty tone. “I’m definitely going to choke from the jump scares whether I’m eating something or drinking something. I’d like to not ruin everyone’s viewing experience. Thanks.”

“I doubt the movie is going to be that scary, you’re just freaking yourself out now.” He snickered when they entered the theater. The lights were still on and they could see they were the only ones there. Maybe it was because it’s been in the theater for a while now and everyone has already seen it.

“I don't like this.” She muttered while standing next to him.

“Relax. It's fine.”

“There's literally no one else's here! It's creepy.” She whispered and subconsciously latched herself to his side. She felt very uneasy and uncomfortable, she was nervous if someone was already inside and would pop up to scare them.

“You're just freaking yourself out now.” He sighed but smiled when he felt her close. While he did think she was being a scaredy cat, he also didn't want her to be truly afraid either. Despite her uneasiness, this was better, he hated it when the theater was full because a lot of people don't know how to be quiet during a movie most of the time. “Let’s sit in the middle.”

She quietly followed him, and they took their seats. Won Woo put his drink on his right side while she sat to his left. “Do I really have to watch this movie? Can I just cover my ears and close my eyes the entire time?”

“Don’t be a chicken!” He laughed. “Seriously, just give it a chance, quit overthinking it. Some of these scary movies have amazing storylines and character development, it’s not all about the jump scares you know.”

“Okay, okay! I get it…” no, she really didn’t get it but as long as he’d stop scolding her. “What happens if I get too scared?” She just had to ask.

“You won’t.” He replied like he already knew.

“But if I do?” She already knew she was going to be scared, there was just no denying it. She's scared already by how empty the theater is, it even felt colder than normal. Don’t they say that could be signs of ghosts?

“You won’t.” He repeated.

“But. If. I. Do?” She was going to be stubborn about it. She knows for sure she’ll probably be traumatized by the end of the movie and she might even cry. It’s not really a what if, it’s a fact!

“I’ll be right here. Relax.” He assured her with a kind smile, it honestly surprised her a little and she stared at him until the lights dimmed and she whimpered from getting startled. “You’re fine.” He chuckled. The movie started shortly after.

For the first thirty minutes, it was a bunch of background stories and character introductions and hardly anything worth being frightened over. Ji Min started to feel silly for thinking the movie would have jump scares from the start, but she thought that too soon and the first scary event of the movie started to play out. She instantly flinched and gripped onto both armrests on either side of her. Won Woo was calm sitting next to her and completely focused on the movie while Ji Min did her best not to bail and start running out of the theater. The loud noises were the main problem for her, they were so sudden and quick. Eventually, Won Woo noticed Ji Min struggling beside him, she was gripping onto the armrest next to him and had her head down because she was avoiding watching the movie at this point, she was too scared. They were only halfway into the movie and he started to feel bad. She was… really missing out on the plot development!

He didn’t really think about it too much and rested his left hand on top of hers in hopes it would comfort her a little. She flinched when she felt something touch her, but she quickly discovered it was Won Woo. “It’s just a movie, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” He whispered and gestured for her to pay attention to the movie again. “I’m right here.” He added and closed his hand over the top of hers in an attempt of holding her hand because he really wanted to, he knew it could help, too.

It did help… barely. She managed to watch the rest of the movie but not without clinging onto his arm every time she was startled until she was just holding onto him and refused to let go when he asked her to. This was probably why some guys take their date to a scary movie, so they can have the girl cling onto them for the rest of the night. This was his plan? Or he just really wanted to see this movie and thought it would be fun watching it with Miss Scaredy Cat.

“The movie is over, you can let go now.” Won Woo said after the credits finished and the lights came back on.

“Right.” She let go and sat back in her seat. She needed a minute to collect herself.

“Here.” He handed her a piece of his candy to share and she gladly accepted it from him, but she almost dropped it because she was shaking. “Are you cold?”

“No.” She frowned. “I can't believe you talked me into watching this movie with you! I can’t believe I actually sat here and watched it all the way through…”

“You faced your fears, that’s good, right?”

“I don’t know.” She snickered before holding her hand up to see how bad her shaking was. It wasn’t as intense as before when the movie was still playing, but it was still there. Won Woo reached out and grabbed her hand and discovered it was cold to the touch.

“Are you sure you’re just not freezing?!” He was concerned now. “Here… take my jacket.” He said while pulling it off and handed it over. This was the second time now that he's given her his jacket, what a kind and caring future boyfriend, right?

“Thanks.” She realized she was a bit cold since the theater was empty and it's summer so there was a chance the air conditioning was on in the theater.

“Let’s go before they start the movie again.” He pointed out and Ji Min instantly got up and started rushing to the exit and left Won Woo behind, laughing.

☙✨💖✨❧

A/N: For the sake of what I’ve already written, let’s pretend Finding Dory came out a year earlier than it did in real life, we’ve been waiting for it for so long anyway lol with the power of writing, I’m changing the release date for the movie cuz it really fits here. Sorry about all the changes!

This time, they sat up in the back of the theater when they took their seats for Ji Min’s movie pick. There were a few people in the theater this time to her relief, only a small handful and they were seated up in the front, far away from Won Woo and Ji Min. It was less creepy this time. “So, this is the sequel to Finding Nemo?” He asked in a quiet tone.

“Pretty much.” Ji Min nodded. “It’s going to be about Dory and finding her family.” She added.

“Family, huh?” Won Woo snickered at that.

“Yeah.” She nodded and couldn’t help but feel the same. Family was not something they both had good memories of. Their parents being so busy and not having the time of day to meet with them, Ji Min’s brothers moving away to start their careers… she thought after moving to Seoul that she wouldn’t be as lonely like she was back in Changwon, it was why she and Won Woo spent so much time together back then… it was because there was no one waiting at home for them most of the time.

Their parents were always too busy and working late. The two only had each other’s company. Ji Min thought moving in with her brothers would be different now that years have passed, and she is older, but she did not expect that her brothers were the same as her parents, workaholics and busy. She has not seen her brother since they had lunch yesterday. She tried to stay up, so she could welcome her brother home last night, but he took too long getting home and she crashed. She was sure it was him who carried her to her bedroom, otherwise, she had no clue how she woke up in her bed this morning? Despite her rocky history with Won Woo, at least she had someone to spend time with again, they still had each other’s company, like the old days, it was nice. She bet he felt the same.

The movie started up shortly after and instantly, Ji Min felt like she should not have picked this movie to watch when it stirred up so many emotions. When little Dory said, “What if I forget you?” to her parents, it made Ji Min’s heartache, because it was sad of course! These types of family movies always got to her, they always make her cry without fail, even if it’s a happy ending. Then little Dory asked her parents if they would ever forget her… it started to make her think. With how busy her parents were and her brothers, is there ever a moment where they forget about her? Do they forget that she’s at home waiting for them? She stole a glance at Won Woo who seemed bothered about the lines he just heard as well, his expression was a bit dark. He was thinking the same thing… do his parents ever forget about him?

The movie went on and there were other scenes that got the two teenagers thinking. Lately, Won Woo has given up on getting his parent’s attention anymore since he never really succeeds. He has grown so used to being alone now that he would rather have it that way, which was why he never opens up to his other friends and keeps quiet. He started to think about it after hearing the octopus character Hank tell Dory he just wanted to be alone and away from everything. He snickered afterward when he realized how Dory was trying so hard to get Hank to rethink things… and how successful she was in the end. It sort of reminded him of a certain someone, and that certain someone was crying in the seat next to him. She looked so sad and it hurt, it made his heart ache just a bit… no, it ached a whole lot.

“Hey, the movie’s over.” He said once the lights came back on and the other people exited the theater. She didn’t respond to him and only wiped her tears. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” She muttered but it did not look that way. “Sorry for crying on your jacket.” She added with a sad frown.

“It’s fine.” He assured her with a sad chuckle. “Let’s go.” He was the first to get up and he took her by her hand and helped her up out of her seat. He continued to hold her hand and led the way out of the theaters. She was slightly stunned but was glad since it was hard to see through her tears on where she was walking. She expected him to let go once they were out of the theater, but he continued to hold her hand even on the way out of the building and down the street. His hold on her hand tightened a little when they stopped at the crosswalk and she did the same while they waited for the signal to come on. Her tears started to slow down now that she felt comforted by his simple touch. She had a feeling that movie affected him in some way as well… and this was his way of dealing with it. When the signal came on, she followed close beside him, holding hands.

☙✨💖✨❧

“It wasn't a sad ending. Why are you still crying?” Won Woo asked after they came across a bench to sit at in a park near their homes. He thought after walking for twenty minutes that she would have stopped by now, she would have let it all out by now… he thought about letting her hand go, but didn’t want to, he felt like she was still in need of more comforting.

“I don’t know.” She sniffled. “I didn’t think that movie would be so deep, they hit me in the feels.” She seemed to like that he did not let go and that made him feel a little better.

“I guess, they did kind of hit close to home, just a bit.” Because there had been scenes when the main character seemed all alone, just like they feel when they are home alone. Different reasons but the same feelings.

“I’m just glad they had a happy ending, or I’d be sobbing in a puddle of my own tears!” He could imagine that. “I said it before, I’m getting soft.”

“Well, that’s fine.” Won Woo assured her. “At least you’re not some cold-hearted jerk like me.”

“You’re not  !” She frowned at how he insulted himself. “I mean, maybe sometimes, but not all the time!” He snickered at that. “You probably can’t notice that yourself, but you are pretty nice in your own unique way. So, don’t ever say that again, all right?”

“Didn’t think you cared so much about how I thought about myself, my bad.” He said sarcastically but he was pleased to hear that she cared.

“Well, of course. As they say, how can you love someone else until you love yourself first?” He froze in his seat and was surprised that she brought up that topic.

“And who is it that I’m supposed to be loving here?” He curiously asked and briefly glanced down at their conjoined hands when she wasn’t looking. It made him feel a bit nervous about how she said that while they were holding hands. He almost blushed… what a cliché scenario. It's something he wants but he can't help but get flustered when it's brought up.

“I don’t know, your friends and the people around you.” She answered like he had asked a dumb question. “I know love is a strong word and usually a romantic word but that’s not always the case! There can be platonic love.”

“We’re talking about this, because?” He sighed and faced forward in his seat, his hold on her hand started to loosen, he wasn't sure what he was expecting honestly. Her hold only tightened when she started to reply to him.

“Because! You shouldn’t think so poorly of yourself, your friends might worry about you because of it. It’d just be nice if you could open up a little and be more trusting towards others.” When he looked over at her with a bitter look she paused. “Crap, I didn’t mean to start saying that, just forget I said anything!” She avoided the look he gave her just then and let go of his hand, finally. He looked irritated yet hurt. He knew she was just trying to help, but even when he was in Changwon it was hard to open up, even to her. By now she should know not to bring up the topic, but it seemed difficult for her since she was just too kind and really wanted to help. “We’re almost home, right?” She asked once she recognized the park was the one she saw on their way out to the city.

He looked around and concluded where they were before nodding. There was silence between them for several minutes until he spoke up and broke it. “Hey… can we talk about the last two years?”

“Why?” That question made her nervous. “What about it?”

“I… just wanted to know why you didn’t stay in contact with me?” He asked with his eyes locked on the ground before him. “I know we bickered and fought a lot back then… but I wasn’t sure if you really hated me at the end and that was your chance to get rid of me or something?” Hearing him say those words made her feel guilty. It wasn’t exactly like that… but. “Was it something I said? Something I did?” It haunted him every day, wondering if he did something wrong and it was why she stopped talking to him.

Did he say something insensitive to her when she complained about her problems to him? Or did he not say enough when trying to comfort her over their texts? Was he too boring to talk to over text now that all he had was words instead of actions? There were many times he thought about making a trip back to Changwon to visit with her, but things never went his way. He wondered if that’s what she wanted, for him to come back and visit, but because he never mentioned he would or actually did it, she got mad and dumped him as a friend. He always thought she wasn’t that type of person and had hope that it wasn’t really like that, but sometimes he couldn’t help but think that way after so much time passed and no word from her.

“No, I didn’t hate you.” She replied and snapped him out of his thoughts “… there's no excuse. I was going through a lot and it just sort of happened, I just had nothing to say and stopped replying. It sounds awful when I say it out loud, but it was not my intention to stop talking to you for that long… but it's how it went, and I feel ty about it. I'm sorry. Especially with what happened between you and your friend before.”

She never thought she could do something like that to him when knowing it’s what his last friend did to him before. She doesn’t blame him if he actually hated her now for doing that, whether she did it intentionally or not. It hurts. She wonders if it made it that much harder for him to trust others and she hated the thought of it being her fault. “I don’t hate you, but do you hate me now after doing that?” She asked and avoided looking him in the eye because she was scared he would say yes. He didn’t answer right away and that had her worried. He did, didn’t he?

“No, I don’t hate you.” He said a moment later. “I don’t think I ever did, I was just worried and scared something horrible had happened to you…”

“Sorry…”

“It's okay, I understand.” He assured her. “But why? What happened?” She hadn’t really answered his question from before. He watched her grow silent and avoid eye contact again. He took it as a sign she didn’t want to talk about it. “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me… I’m just glad you're here now, by my side… like before.” He said softly and gave her a cute smile when she looked over at him. She was stunned but managed a small smile in return. She was glad that he was more forgiving than she was expecting, especially since she didn’t really answer him. “It felt like something was missing this whole time.”

“Because something was missing.” She snickered. “But… after today, it shouldn’t feel like that anymore, right?”

“It shouldn’t.” His smile widened, a genuine one, too. “As cringy as it might sound, I missed you, Ji Min.” He said and looked away with an embarrassed laugh. “Did you miss me too?”

“Maybe.” She chuckled, but it was true. She really did miss him. “Yes. Yes, I missed you, Won Woo.”

“Good.” He smiled at her and she looked happy just then, it made his heart flutter a bit, she looked so pretty like that with the moonlight shining down on her just perfectly. He never imagined he would be feeling such thing years later after meeting her again, but he did. He might be getting mixed signals but he really wished he could just be honest and tell her how he feels and ask if she felt the same. Too fast… he warned himself. She just moved here yesterday… let her adjust first. He could be patient, maybe.

“Thanks for earlier, I didn’t really expect you to do that.” She interrupted his moment with a shy smile.

“Sure, no problem.” He muttered and looked away, he was starting to feel embarrassed again. But he doesn’t regret it at all.

“Talking like this isn’t really our style, is it?” She laughed. “Let’s just move on now, okay.” He nodded in agreement with a small laugh of his own. “But I should apologize for making that comment earlier…” her expression faltered, and she looked sad again. He jokingly wondered how much girls have it worse when it came to puberty and hormones. Guys could be just as emotional, but still.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted like that…” he assured her. “You’re right, someday I will have to change and for my own good. It’s just been hard.” He has been changing, in subtle ways. He knows he’s changed to some degree over the last three years, it’s hard not to change as you grow up. He does talk more to his friends and meets with them a bit more than he did in the past. But he still has his moments and that’s when it makes him feel like he hasn’t changed and never would. Could I change for good now that she’s here? He wondered. If she’s there to keep him in check? Not that he needs to stay in check, his troublemaking days are long over, his rebellious days are long gone as well… there’s nothing he really needs to stay in check for other than a few bad habits everyone tends to have in their lifetime, like staying up late and not eating healthy enough.

“It’s fine.” She said after a while. “I’m sorry for pushing it. We have been apart for a long time… I guess things have changed and it really can’t be the way they used to be, huh?”

“I guess not.” He said with a sigh. “We’re growing up. It’s tragic.”

“Very tragic.” She also sighed and they both did a small laugh together.

“You know, you can talk to me if you ever need it. I always listened.” He added with a sweet smile. It didn’t happen often back in Changwon since talking wasn’t always their thing, but sometimes they did and it always helped.

“I remember.” She returned that same smile. “THANKS.”

“No problem!” There was a moment of silence between them before he pouted. “You’re supposed to say the same to me, right?”

“Do I have to?” She teased.

“Yes!” He nudged her.

“All right, you can always talk to me if you ever need it, Won.” She grinned when she used the nickname his friend Soonyoung used earlier. He pouted, and she laughed.

“Never mind, feel free not to talk to me about anything!” He complained and looked away. Thinking of Soonyoung was bringing down his mood again, but she doesn’t know that.

“But you're going to be the one I tell to beat up the guys who hurt me in the future, right?!” She protested.

“Seriously?” He asked and wanted to laugh, her serious face was adorable. “Then I’ll be ready.” He chuckled but suddenly didn’t know if she was just joking or actually being serious. He started to recall her talk with Soo Min earlier and how they were talking about their favorite idols. He heard how fond she seemed about that one named Ren. “But let us make one thing clear, I’m not fighting an idol for you. I ain’t going to jail for that.”

“I honestly wouldn’t want you fighting them anyway!” She laughed, and it was quite cute. “Some of them know taekwondo! They’d knock you on your first!”

“Whatever! I’d trip them while I’m down.” Hearing him sound so serious while saying that had her laughing even more and he eventually started laughing as well because it was contagious. “You really think you’d hook up with an idol?”

“A girl can dream, can’t she?!” She pouted at him.

“I guess, you’re allowed to do that.” He shrugged. “But you’re not like one of those delusional fans, right?”

“No. That would be embarrassing!” She shook her head with a look of horror. “You suddenly sound interested in the fangirl lifestyle?”

“No, I’m just making sure you don’t do anything stupid now that you’re in the same city as your precious idols.”

“Ah… true.” She chuckled when his expression dropped. “I’m kidding! I’m not that crazy~!”

“Not sure if I should believe you or not?” He eyed her suspiciously. “Just stay out of trouble, all right?”

“Roger that, yes sir.” She nodded with a bright smile. Despite teasing her, he believes her, he believes she knows better and her admiration for her idols wasn’t that deep. At first, he seemed jealous but how can he be now that he sees her beautiful smile. If her idols make her happy, it makes him happy.

On the walk back to her brother’s house, they took their time. Ji Min asked him about how his life has been since moving to Seoul. He told her how boring it’s been without her and she laughed in response. “Of course it was.” Won Woo snickered and rolled his eyes in a playful manner like he was joking and implying she was full of herself. “It was quite boring in Changwon without you, too.” She admitted and his expression softened.

There was a moment of silence between them until he noticed her sad expression. “What’s wrong?”

“It was really difficult without you.” She said softly and reached for his hand as the tears started to well in her eyes. He was shocked but held her hand tight to let her know he was there for her, he would comfort her as many times as she needed. “Everyone was so mean… no matter what I did, it never stopped. I tried to ignore it, but still… It was the worst. And to this day I never knew why they did it or what caused it?”

“I’m sorry.” Won Woo’s heart was broken. “I wish I had stayed. I should have protected you.”

“I had no one on my side. I was really alone.” Her steps slowed to a stop and she stood there, fighting back her tears with her gaze on the sidewalk. Won Woo only noticed a few steps later and stopped to turn towards her, their hands still connecting them. He was really having a hard time of coming up with words to say to her to help cheer her up. His lack of response seemed to only upset her more and he felt defeated.

“You’re not alone now.” He managed to say and took a few steps forward so he could grab her into a tight hug, she really needed it this time. He held her tight against his chest and she cried for a few minutes, even if it hurt to see and hear her cry, he knew she would feel better afterward. He figured she bottled up those feelings for far too long, it was time to empty it. “Do you feel better?” He asked once she parted from him and she wiped her eyes with his jacket sleeves again.

“I’m sorry, I did it again!” She said with a small sob and he chuckled while patting her on her head with a sweet smile.

“Don’t worry about it.” He assured her. She managed to look up at him and finally smiled, a genuine smile. He was glad to see it and felt accomplished. “If anyone ever bothers you, just let me know.” He added on and she nodded in understanding. They stood there like that for a moment, silently until more tears started to surface again. “What is it?” He worried.

“I’m just sorry.” She barely got out. “I pushed you away when I need you the most back then… I should have said something, I should’ve done more, but I didn’t. You should hate me.”

“But I don’t.” It hurt for him to hear her say that. I don’t hate you. I could never hate you because I…

“You should.” She turned away from him, but he only stepped over and was in front of her again.

“If I hate you, then you must hate me too.” He blurted out and she looked up at him confused. “I should have said something, I should’ve done more too, but I didn’t. So you should hate me too for not being there for you.”

Ji Min was speechless for a moment, that was true, they both made mistakes. She, who could have said something to let him know she was still there, and he, who could have made sure she was still there and okay. She could have called, he could have visited. But they didn’t. “It’s just a misunderstanding… it’s not worth staying hung up on it or hating each other for it either… let’s not be this way.” She could tell it upset him by the tone in his voice. “We can just put it behind us, right?”

“But…”

“Whatever happened these past two years, you can tell me when you’re ready to share it. I won’t make you tell me. I know you must have your reasons for not being so open about it with me, just like I had my reasons when I wasn’t open with you back then. Understand?” She quietly nodded to that. “Good. Things may never be the same as before, but we can get close to it at least. We’ll get through it together, somehow.”

“You’ve really grown up.” She let out a sad chuckle. “You sound so mature now.”

“You have some catching up to do then.” He teased and reached out to ruffle her hair up a bit. She pouted and pushed his arm away with a small laugh and tried to fix her hair. He helped her and their hands brushed against one another and they paused, just like in the movies. Won Woo wasn’t as stunned as she was, because he thinks he knows what he’s feeling. On the other hand, Ji Min didn’t know what she was feeling and was trying to figure out why her heartbeat picked up in pace and why that touch felt like he shocked her, electrifying, but in a painless way.

“Won Woo~!” They were interrupted when a girl’s voice called out suddenly, and he was tackled from his side by a small and petite girl. Ji Min was surprised and backed up a step so she wouldn’t get knocked over in the process. Won Woo nearly fell over but he regained his balance despite the short girl was latched to his side. “Oh, Won Woo, thank goodness I found you! I’m saved!” She wailed and was on the verge of tears.

“A-Ae-Cha?” Won Woo stuttered out and tried to separate himself from her because he felt like Ji Min would get the wrong idea if he left the girl clinging to him like that. She definitely looked confused at the situation.

“You know her?” It seemed like a dumb question to ask, but Ji Min asked it anyway.

“Uh, yeah, she’s a friend.” He explained. “Ae-Cha, mind telling me what’s wrong?” He seemed awkward with his words and Ji Min giggled, she never saw him in such a state.

“I’m lost!” Ae-Cha cried out and held onto Won Woo tighter, her face hidden into the side of his ribs. “One moment I was with Jihoon and the next I was lost in the city! I only stopped to greet a stray cat in the alley, and then he was gone!”

“Oh no!” Ji Min knew what that was like, getting lost in the city. “Have you tried calling this Jihoon person?” She asked and Ae-Cha finally looked at her.

“Oh?! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there!” She blurted out, her cute little face looked so apologetic and Ji Min was in awe at how adorable this girl was. “You are?”

“Ah, my name is Ji Min. I just moved to Seoul yesterday and Won Woo is an old friend of mine. We were catching up.” She explained and noticed Ae-Cha never left Won Woo’s side, it was like she was stuck to him with super glue. She felt a bit weird seeing it, but also thought it was cute with how Won Woo was reacting, he was flustered and dumbfounded on what to do. It seemed obvious that maybe the chance of Ae-Cha being some sort of romantic partner to Won Woo was out of the question. He was just too awkward around this girl and he tried to separate them a few times now, but she wouldn’t let go.

“It’s nice to meet you!” Ae-Cha managed a small smile, but it was clear she was still stressed about being lost and Ji Min understood. “I’m sorry to interrupt your time together, but can you please help me find Jihoon?” She asked and gave the puppy eyes to Ji Min and then to Won Woo.

“Sure!” Ji Min quickly agreed. “Though, is there any special reason you’re holding onto him so tight?” She also asked and Won Woo didn’t know if she was asking out of jealousy or pure curiosity.

“I’m sorry!” Ae-Cha hid her face into his side again. “There was a big scary guy following me for a while! I’m scared!” This time Won Woo felt bad and lowered his arm down to hold her to his side as if to help assure her the girl was safe with them. It was hard not to feel for the girl when she puts it that way, but Ji Min still felt a bit weird seeing Won Woo wrap his arm around Ae-Cha. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she looked away when he spared her a glace.

“Well, that is scary!” Ji Min subconsciously took a step towards Won Woo and glanced around the area, worried if the big scary guy had followed Ae-Cha this far. She might need Won Woo’s protection as well...

“Do you have your phone, Ae-Cha?” Won Woo asked because she never answered Ji Min’s question earlier.

“Jihoon was holding my purse for me, being the kind boyfriend he is! I don’t have it!”

“That’s okay. I’ll give him a call.” Won Woo assured her and reached for his phone in his pocket. Hearing Ae-Cha explain who Jihoon really was, Ji Min felt relieved. I suppose if he had a girlfriend, he would have said something by now? She would be thinking about that all night now… what has Won Woo been up to the past two years?

It only took a moment to get a hold of Jihoon and ask where he was. They were given a spot to meet up at and they agreed to head over. Ae-Cha remained attached to Won Woo’s side while Ji Min kept close to Won Woo’s other side.

When they returned to the city, he noticed the looks he was getting from others, he wasn’t sure what to make of them, if they were jealous looks from other guys or adoring looks from other women. They were a few blocks from the meeting spot Jihoon had given them, but a drunk guy got in their way and tried to make passes at the girls. Won Woo wasn’t having it and calmly told him to back off and pushed him back when he tried grabbing Ae-Cha’s arm to pull her away from Won Woo. The older guy fell back on his rear and other people around stopped and watched the encounter unfold. The drunk guy looked angry like he was ready to fight, and Won Woo told Ae-Cha to go to Ji Min where it was safe. She did as she was told and rushed over to hold onto Ji Min’s arm in fear.

Ji Min was in shock to see something like this in real life. She watched the drunk person try and throw a punch at Won Woo, but he easily dodged it and grabbed the guy’s arm, he twisted it behind his back and pinned him to the ground to stop him from further attacks. Luckily, two other adult males came over to help Won Woo. “Amazing.” Ji Min muttered, she was very impressed and almost starstruck at Won Woo’s brave behavior. She recalls learning self-defense with him in the past, something she’s long forgotten how to do now, but she supposed he kept it up after moving. Seoul is a big city after all and could be dangerous, especially on the streets like this late at night.

“Your friend is a hero.” A man suddenly said next to Ji Min and almost startled her, she hadn’t noticed him get that close since a crowd had formed around them to watch what happens with the drunk guy. She suddenly felt nervous in the worst way possible. He rested his hand on her shoulder and she felt a chill go down her spine. This didn’t feel right, this person had bad intentions despite his kind expression and friendly tone. He started to run his hand from her shoulder down her back and just as he was about to pass her waist, she heard another voice speak up.

“I would think twice before you end up like that other guy, pinned to the ground with his arm twisted behind his back, though I don’t think I’ll be as kind and actually break your arm in several places. Maybe you wouldn’t dare think of groping other young women ever again?” She felt the man’s hand retract and she turned to see a guy around her age standing there with a threatening smile towards the other man.

“Hao!” Ae-Cha blurted out and rushed over to latch herself to his side, just like she had with Won Woo and she giggled when she saw this Hao suddenly get flustered and awkward as well from the sudden tackle. She supposed Ae-Cha did this with everyone.

“He’s right, be smart.” Ji Min turned to the man who tried to her. “My older brother is a lawyer, he won’t be so forgiving.” And just like they always do in the movies and dramas, the man had nothing to say and quickly left the area. “Uh, thanks… Hao?” She turned and faced him. He was tall and had semi-long golden hair. He also had ear piercings and was dressed in a simple outfit, a plain t-shirt, and red plaid jacket hoodie, and some ripped skinny jeans. His facial features didn’t seem very Korean and she was curious to know where he was from.

“You’re welcome.” He managed to say with an awkward laugh. “It’s Minghao. Xu Minghao.”

“Lee Ji Min.” She smiled. He must be from China like Jun? “I assume you’re friends with Ae-Cha and Won Woo, right?” She gestured to the smaller girl clinging onto him like a Koala to one of her many favorite trees.

“That’s right.” He nodded. “And you as well?”

“Correct, Won Woo and I were friends back in Changwon. I just moved to Seoul and so we were catching up. We bumped into Ae-Cha who got separated from someone named Jihoon. We were on our way to meet up with him but someone got in our way.” She gestured to the scene a few feet away. The police had finally shown up and were taking care of it.

“You got separated from your boyfriend again?” Minghao frowned, but it sounded like this wasn’t the first time. “You should be more careful.” He lightly scolded and Ae-Cha only pouted cutely in reply. She’s too freaking adorable… how? She was like the cute little sister everyone wanted!

“Are you two okay?” Won Woo asked when he finally returned to them, he noticed Minghao and silently greeted him with a nod of his head, Minghao did the same. They were the same in a sense, not a man of many words, but actions.

“We’re fine.” Ji Min answered and slowly made her way closer to him, watching the people passing behind her like she was afraid they were going to do something to her like the other guy. “What about you? That was intense.”

“I’m okay. I’m just glad I stopped him before he could do anything else.” Won Woo seemed a bit shaken himself but he would be just fine. He had to focus on returning Ae-Cha to Jihoon now, and he snickered thinking just his luck that they ran into more of his friends before the night was over. But at least Minghao could deal with Ae-Cha’s clinginess instead of him, right?

Ae-Cha managed to cling onto both Won Woo’s and Minghao’s arms when they resumed their journey to meet up with Jihoon, giving no choice but for Minghao to join them. Ji Min was quite amused but stayed close to Won Woo’s other side during the rest of the walk. They finally made it to the meeting spot and Ae-Cha quickly ran over and tackled her boyfriend Jihoon with a big hug and almost knocked him down. Ji Min noticed their heights were almost the same and squealed internally at how adorable they looked as a couple. He had semi-long bleached blonde hair peeking out from under a snapback, it was on backward just like all the cool kids do and she snickered at that thought in her head.

“Thanks,” Jihoon muttered towards Won Woo and Minghao before noticing Ji Min. “Uh…” he seemed confused yet curious.

“Hello, my name is Lee Ji Min. I’m an old friend of Won Woo’s, I recently moved here.” She introduced herself.

“Nice to meet you.” He tried to bow, but it was hard when his girlfriend was latched onto him, he ended up chuckling at the situation, which got the others chuckling as well, it was cute. Very cute. “Sorry, Ae-Cha is very clingy.” He said and patted his girlfriend on her back. She only whimpered, she’s had a rough night, you can’t really blame her now, can you?

“Not a problem, it’s adorable!” Ji Min cooed. “It was funny to watch these two deal with it on the way here.” She gestured to both Won Woo and Minghao, and they pouted in response.

“I’m sure it was a sight to see, too bad I missed it.” Jihoon teased.

“Don’t get lost again, okay?” Won Woo complained almost instantly, his words directed at Ae-Cha, but it was clear he was just worried about her and she smiled in response, promising she’d be more careful from now on. She then asked for Ji Min’s contact information so they could stay in touch. Ji Min was a bit confused at first but realized they were bound to become friends after this, and so she happily accepted their numbers. Jihoon offered his in case Ae-Cha found herself in Ji Min’s arms next time. Minghao offered his in case she found herself in a troubling situation again. Her phone gained ten new contacts today.

Jerk Face

Joshua

Mingyu

Jun

Hoshi~☆

Soo Min

Jeonghan

Ae-Cha

Jihoon

Minghao

Thinking about how eventful today was almost made her dizzy and she was definitely exhausted by now. “Get home safely!” Ae-Cha called after both Ji Min and Won Woo who were parting from the other three. Minghao decided to stay with the couple and walk them home. Ji Min gave them one last friendly wave before disappearing around the corner with Won Woo.

“Wow… I’m exhausted.” She blurted out once they came up to a crosswalk and waited for the signal to light up across the street. She pulled out her phone to check the time and was almost shocked, it was nearly midnight now.

“We’re definitely going home now, I’m exhausted too.” Won Woo chuckled.

“I had fun meeting all of your friends today.” She grinned while waiting for the signal. “Even if you didn’t.”

“It’s not like that.” He pouted. “It’s just draining sometimes to meet that many people at once.”

“I get it, no worries.”

“And just so you know, that wasn’t all of them.”

“What?”

“There are still more you haven’t met yet.”

“Really, are you serious?! There’s more?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled. “Good luck meeting them all, though I’m sure it won’t be too hard since we keep running into them.” He seemed annoyed by that but in a playful way.

“Well, how many more left?”

“You’ll know when you meet them.” He simply said with a smile. “I’m sure you will like them.”

“Then I look forward to it!” She smiled back up at him and they shared some sort of moment until the signal lit up and told them to cross. They snapped out of it and crossed the road quickly and didn’t say anything about the moment they had back there. The rest of their walk was spent silent but in a comfortable silence this time. Won Woo thought about that moment when he was cloud gazing yesterday, how he had thought about her all morning after so long, and how she showed up suddenly like she heard his wishes of her to appear before him one more time.

He felt silly for thinking he’d never see her again, it was just a matter of finding her, that’s all, or in this case, being patient. He knew one thing for sure, should she disappear again, he won’t stop until he finds her again. But he had a feeling she won’t be disappearing again this time.

Ji Min, on the other hand, was thinking about how she couldn’t wait to move from Changwon and start new in Seoul. While she wants to pursue opportunities, she also had Won Woo on her mind and wondered how long it would take to find him in such a big city? When she managed to find him on the same street as her brother’s house, she felt like it was fate. She looked up at the night sky for a moment and smiled. Perhaps it’s written in the stars, that we were destined to be together in the end. That doesn’t necessarily mean romantically, it could mean as friends, too. I hope we’re never separated again… she isn’t sure she could deal with it a second time.

☙✨💖✨❧

“Here’s your jacket back, thanks for letting me borrow it and for showing me around today, even though I know you didn't want to.” Ji Min said with a hint of teasing in her tone. They finally made it to her brother’s front doorstep.

“Again, it's not really like that, but you're welcome.” Won Woo snickered in response. “And thanks for treating me to so much food today, I'll have fun trying to burn off the weight I gained.” He joked, and it made her laugh. “So… see you around?”

“Yes!” She nodded with another bright smile and it got him smiling again. They stood there for a moment and Won Woo wasn't sure how he was going to part from her, since they've known each other for a long time, they used to hug when parting from each other but now that they were older it seemed a bit awkward to do now, even though he gave her one earlier when she was crying. But despite that, he almost opened his arms for a hug before stopping himself and she chuckled before holding her fist out hinting that they should fist bump. “Later, dude.”

“Dork.” Won Woo laughed before bumping his fist with hers and then turned to leave. He could not stop smiling on the walk down the street back to his home. He had a good day.

After shutting the front door, Ji Min made her way straight to bed. She was socially drained as well as physically and mentally drained. Today was too eventful, the most eventful in the longest time. She met so many people today, which was exciting. She still had fun and she looked forward to meeting the rest of his friends. She’d have to adapt to being more social from now on, that’s for sure if she wants to keep up. But at the same time, she felt like sticking to Won Woo would be more her speed for a while. Just how many friends does he really have? She’s met nine so far. What was the lucky number? SEVENTEEN?

She managed to change into her pajamas and plopped onto her bed with a deep sigh. Her brother Jaehwan wasn’t home yet and she knew Hongbin won’t be returning either. She really disliked that and didn’t know what she would do if it keeps up, it's kind of irritating to think it's because of her like she came and ruined everything for him.

When she put her phone on the charger, she noticed she had a missed call from her father and there was a voicemail. Damn, he called while I was busy. She didn’t hear or feel her phone vibrated at all during the evening. She tapped on the notification to hear what her father had to say?

“Hey my dancing queen, hope things are going well in Seoul.I already miss you, even if it’s silly to say since I was never home when you were here. But I really do miss you. Your mother misses you just as much. I hope we can visit you and the boys sometime soon when we get our vacation days. Until then, stay healthy and strong. We love you~! Sweet dreams, my dancing queen!”

Ji Min sat there with a single tear sliding down her cheek. She always felt conflicted when her parents left her voice messages like this, they always felt like empty promises and only the right things to say to your daughter who moved away to a new city. But she wants to believe it’s different this time. Usually she doesn’t call back since voicemail was always so awkward for her, instead, she leaves them a text with a short I love you too and a heart emoji. When she was through, she put her phone on the nightstand next to her bed before knocking out. She worried about having nightmares from the scary movie she watched earlier at the movie theater with Won Woo, but she didn't and had a pleasant dream instead, just like her father asked for.

Meanwhile...

When Won Woo got home he instantly got ready for bed since he was so tired. He had been out with Ji Min since early in the morning till midnight. It was an eventful day to say the least and once he was in bed, he started to think about all the encounters he had with both Ji Min and his friends. The encounter with Soo Min suddenly popped into his head and the words she said about a double date. Now that he thought about it, going to the movies with Ji Min was like a date, wasn’t it? Damn, if only. He turned from side to side on his bed in frustration. We’re just dance partners in the end… He thought and stared at the ceiling. We’re just friends. That is all we can be, right? But he wanted more.

He wonders if he’s the only one between them who thinks this way? If it’s just him and all in his head? Perhaps he reads too many romance novels and subconsciously lives his days like the main character on the search for his one true love. Aren’t we all the main character on the search for something? Life is just one big story, isn’t it? But unlike a book that you can just skip ahead and spoil the ending, Won Woo can’t do that. He has to wait and let the chapters unfold. They say you should take control and write your own story sometimes, but he doesn’t feel like he could do it. If he gets stuck on words when it comes to talking when it comes to expressing himself, how on earth does he write his own story this way? Unless he draws it out like a manga book? He snickered at that thought, he’s no artist, not like his talented friends Ji Ah and Mingyu.

Perhaps he simply has writer’s block? And what better way to get rid of writer’s block? Create something new and go from there. But what shall he create? “A new storyline, with you in mind…” he muttered out loud, the sad melodies of music filling his room played like a special OST to his mini-drama. “No, better yet, the sequel to finish what we started all those years ago.” He’d do his best to write a happy ending, just like every cliché romance out there.

Chapter Four~

Jeonghan: You’re so sweet, Won Woo.

Won Woo: *Embarrassed* How do you even know about that, you stalker…

Jihoon: You really are sweet Won Woo, why don’t you consider working with me and writing lyrics to express your feelings to Ji Min through song?

Won Woo: I’ll think about it…

Mingyu: I support, I stan…

Won Woo: *Says something cringey*

Ji Min, you are the light to my prism, you fill my world with color...

S.Coups out!

Boo: So that was his plan all along, take her on a movie date and watch a scary movie.

Won Woo: No, that’s not it, we just went as friends.

I picked a movie, she picked a movie… simple.

Boo: Excuses, excuses, it was a date and you know it!

Won Woo: Alright, think what you will… I won’t stop you.

Boo: This hyung has no shame whatsoever… can you believe it?

Jeonghan: Seriously though, when Soo and I had dinner with him,

I asked, are you on a date? He cuts me off and got so flustered~! *Gestures with hands*

Won Woo: You said it so suddenly, of course, I got flustered.

We weren’t on a date.

Jeonghan: That’s what you want us to think, but in truth, it was something you didn’t want us intruding on, admit it!

Won Woo: Ah, he’s really getting on my nerves, someone stop him, please?

Jeonghan: I see how it is…

Jisoo: Doesn’t admit his feelings, who would have guessed that?

Not us, apparently.

LOL

Won Woo: You guys are the worst!