Min Young's POV

It was a Thursday and it was yet another dull and boring day in the office. The number of patients today was much less than yesterday’s. It was worrying me that much less people were visiting me but then again, I just had to ask for it.

  Around lunch time, I was suddenly called into Emergency Room four. The surgery took up my lunch hour so I was left to eat a cookie in my office. As I solemnly chew the brittle thing in my mouth, I was checking out some news my PC when suddenly someone came knocking on my door.

  I stuffed the small piece into my mouth, wiped the crumbs off of my hands and said, “Come in,” which came out pretty muffled because of my cookie. The person came in nonetheless.

  It was Hye Ryung and what she had in her hands really surprised me. She had brought in a lush bouquet of red roses in her hands and said, “Someone dropped this off for you.”

  “Okay” I said stiffly and slowly stood up as he hands me the bouquet. I had to wonder who would send such a bouquet to me and noticed the card hanging at the bottom from a string tied around the bouquet. “Thanks Hye Ryung,” I told her as she left and sat back in my seat as I opened up the card. I was touched to find the bouquet from none other than, “Yunho.”

  It had said,

‘Hello,

Hope you love the flowers. I was planning on making up the lunch you had with me on Monday but the nurses at the counter said you were busy so I’ll just drop these off. I even had to buy this card at the gift shop to explain. I didn’t want to tell the nurses so . . . I hope these made up your day.

Sincerely,

Yunho’

I took in a whiff of the roses and just smiled. It was very sweet of him to think of it. I suddenly felt like repaying his effort. In my head, I thought of many things. Should I buy him something? Should I visit him again tomorrow? No, I didn’t want to delay this repayment so I decided on dinner. Yes! I would make dinner for him.

  I took out my cell phone tapped on my phone for things to buy. I wanted to make the dinner extra special. I made a list and just sat in my chair excitedly as I brainstormed a plan.

  Once it was time for me to clock out, I went straight to the Supermarket to get the ingredients. I was planning on making a grand dinner with fragrant rice and heavy side-dishes. I bought the freshest pork and practically rushed home to get started.

  I constantly checked my wristwatch for the time and cooked as quickly as lightning. I was a little in a panic state but tried my best to calm myself down because if I were in a state of panic, my food would turn out horrible. I would taste before serving on the plates – which I had bought on Tuesday after realizing that dinner on Monday – just in case it needed more seasoning. Once I was done, I placed them on the table and all that was left was to wait for my dear guest of honour to enjoy this feast for two.

  It had struck eight o’clock and seeing he wasn’t here yet, I decided to go change into something much more casual and comfy. I had changed out of my shirt into a loose orange long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of beige yoga pants.

  Once the clock struck eight thirty, I decided to cover the dishes and wait for him on the couch and watch some drama to pass the time. I would let out a sigh after every twenty minutes that pass and would check my watch every five minutes. After an hour had passed, I was wondering whether Yunho was really coming home or not.

  I took out my phone from my pocket and as I scrolled through my contacts, I realized I didn’t have his number. I slapped my forehead and threw my head back for my stupidity. I made a self-note and noted to ask for his number tomorrow. Even if he was in a hurry, I was going to pull him back and demand his number.

  Since my stomach was already growling, I guess I should eat first but the beautiful dishes I had garnished would then no more be beautiful. I watched the dishes with a swollen heart before deciding to eat. My stomach was growling, pleading – no, begging – for food so I just had to. Once I had finished eating, I checked my watch and it was already ten o’clock. Guess it’s the Tupperware for you guys.

  After I had placed everything in the fridge, I made myself a hot cup of coffee and sat on one of the chairs at the dining table. I knew my efforts had been a waste but I still wanted to wait for him. Maybe when he gets back, he could still be hungry and I could warm up the dishes for him. At times like this, I would be playing with my ring but I had thrown it at Si Won so now, I played with my finger and constantly bit on my nail.

  I was still up now that it was half an hour past eleven. I had emptied the coffee in the coffee maker and was struggling to keep my eyes open. I wasn’t going to sleep yet. I lifted my head up from resting it on my knees and lightly slapped myself in the cheek to keep myself awake. ‘Don’t sleep, Min Young,’ I told myself and continued, ‘Don’t you dare sleep. Not after you just made such an incredible dinner and when he comes home he would find you asleep. No, no way.’

  I gave my watch another look and I was just in time for it to strike twelve. My shoulders sank and I dropped my legs I was hugging to the floor. ‘Maybe I should,’ I thought sadly but then I dropped my hand lightly bang my head with my fists and thought, ‘No! You are staying awake whether you like it or not!’

  So, I waited and waited. My eyelids were becoming heavier by the minute but I would snap up as I realize what I was doing. I eventually leaned against the table, placed my elbows on the table and rested my chin on my palm so it wouldn’t lie down on the table by itself to sleep.

  I yawned and yawned but I was adamant on not going to sleep. I checked my watch and it was twelve thirty. ‘Come on Yunho, where are you?’ I asked and let out a long sigh.

Yunho’s POV

“Good job everyone! You did well today!” said our director, Director Ji Hun and dismissed us all.

  “Finally, we can all go home!” Jonghyun said in relief as he stretched out his limbs from the stiffness of his back.

  “Gosh, what time is it?” Dong Hae asked as he let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes.

  “It’s three in the morning. You guys should better get going; we have another long day ahead of us.” I stated. I was still pretty fresh seeing I was used to the late hours.

  “Hyung, are you some kind of vampire or something?” Changmin asked with heavy lidded and red eyes.

  “No,” I said flatly and pushed him as he moved weakly towards the Action School van. “I just have more experience than you, that’s all,” I explained and gave his a smack before he jumped into the van.

  I sat in the passenger seat while our director, Director Ji Hun sat in the driver seat. “All seated and counted for?” he asked me before he put the car in gear.

  “Yup, everyone’s here.” I confirmed.

  “Alright,” he said and drove off. The location of the film set wasn’t far from the action school so we were able to reach it in about thirty minutes or so. Once everyone had got out, I slid the door shut and Director Ji Hun joined me as I walked towards the door of the Action School. “Ah, it really was a long day today, wasn’t it?” Director Ji Hun said to me as he rubbed the back of his neck.

  “Yeah, it was,” I agreed and let out a sigh. As I did so, a cloud of smoke appeared. The weather really was cold at a time like this.

  “What’s going on with you and Su Yeon?” he asked me and I froze. He didn’t realize my sudden abrupt stop and walked ahead of me by a few steps before stopping himself. He turned around and asked, “Well?”

  “Sir,” I said. My voice was caught in my throat. ‘How did he know?’ I thought. I never told anyone about it, no one.

  He turned his body fully towards me and started walking my way before stopping a few feet away from me. He stuffed his hands down his bubble jacket and explained the question I was wondering for an answer to.

  “I noticed the girl that came yesterday. Who was she?” he said.

  I shifted my weight onto both legs and let out a longer sigh before answering, “A friend.”

  “Oh, I doubt that’s just a friend,” Mr Ji Hun said with a smile.

  I stuffed my hands in the back pockets of my pants and said, “It’s complicated, sir.”

  “That bad, huh?” he asked. I just nodded and he said, “Well, whatever it is . . . don’t go doing anything you’ll regret later on. That’s my advice to you.”

  “Thank you, sir,” I said and bowed before he turned his back to me and walked away. “I will definitely keep that in mind.” I said to myself and started back on my journey to the Action School.

   I went up a flight of stairs to where the lockers were and the guys were all packed up and ready to leave. I had just reached there and just opened up my locker which was at the far right end and watched them as they leave. Some gave me a high-five or a wave before they left and some even wished me goodnight.

  As I packed up the important stuff into my bag, I couldn’t help but look up to the pictures stuck to the inside of my locker door. The top had a picture of Su Yeon and me on our wedding day. Then, the one below it was of us in front of the door of the apartment we had bought – which is the one she’s living in with that bastard. I pulled that picture down and scrunched it up into a ball. I threw it inside my locker and turned my attention back to the other pictures stuck to the door. There was a sticky pad and then, the last picture.

  I pulled it down but I didn’t scrunch it up. Instead, I stared into it. I sat on the bench they set out in front of the lockers and continued to stare at the picture in my hands. I traced the face of the girl in the picture who had dark brown hair and an angelic smile on. Her hands cupped her face as she tilts her head at a forty-five degree angle to the right. I smiled as I remembered that day. We were eating a late night dinner at some restaurant. I had taken the picture for fun really.

  It was hard to believe that the girl in the picture had changed so much. Now, she no more had on that pure angelic smile. Her hair was now of honey blonde and her face always held a cold stare. I would at times wish that the days we spend in the apartment weren’t filled with arguments, but of great moments like the way we were when we first moved in.

  I let out a sigh and said to myself, “Ah Su Yeon-ah . . . why?” It hurt so much every time I think of what she did to me. To even imagine what she would be doing with that in that apartment we once called our home made me sick to my stomach.

  I ended up ruffling my hair and threw the picture into the locker and slammed it shut. Somehow, just thinking about Su Yeon made me tired. I rubbed the back of my neck and stood up. I jingled the keys in my hands and went downstairs to get to my bike. I put the keys into the ignition, and before I started the engine, I put on my gloves and my helmet. With that, I started my bike and rode away into the night.

  Once I had parked my bike in the driveway beside Min Young’s red Audi, I killed the engine and pulled my helmet off. I had made a copy of the house key so I was able to get in. Once I was in, I expected the place to be in complete darkness but saw the living area, kitchen and dining area all well lit up.

  It worried me that I might just get myself in trouble. I’ve never been home late before so I pretty much expected an angry-looking Min Young to be standing by the couch, arms crossed and a foot tapping against the floor impatiently as if she was waiting for an explanation. Much to my surprise, she was doing the exact opposite.

  She wasn’t standing up, that’s for sure, or even sitting on the couch. In fact, she was seated at the dining table, resting her head on her arms that were on the table. She was asleep. It made me wonder why she was down here so late, but I didn’t want to wake her up.

  I knelt down on one knee beside her so I was levelled with her head and gave her a little shake. “Hey,” I said gently and she stirred. After a few more tries and repeatedly saying, “Hey, wake up,” she eventually opened her eyes and yawned.

  She looked to me and smiled. “You’re home,” she said weakly and lay her head on her arms.

  I smiled myself at the sight of her. “Yes, I am,” I told her and asked, “What are you doing down here?”

  “Waiting for you,” she answered yet again, weakly, probably hasn’t woken up fully yet from her sleep.

  I asked her, “Why are you waiting down here for me? It’s almost four in the morning.”

  “I made you dinner,” she mumbled sleepily and lifted up her left arm so she could point it to the direction of the refrigerator.

  Quietly, I walked over to the refrigerator and when I opened it, there were food in Tupperware. Just by looking from the door I could tell they were delicious. She had actually made an effort to cook me dinner and I was unable to come home as she hoped. I turned to her and felt real sorry. All of that effort went to waste.

  I closed the door to the fridge and walked back over to Min Young. I knelt back down on one knee and she had closed her eyes right back. Well, who could blame her? I gave her a light shake and said, “Hey, why don’t you go up to bed, huh?”

  She stirred and mumbled, “Five more minutes.”

  She was just too cute to disturb anymore so I decided to carry her up to her room. I stood up, took off my jacket, took one arm and placed it over my shoulder before I placed my arm under her knees and lifted her off her feet. I made sure her head was leaning on my shoulder so she would still be comfortable in my arms and carefully brought her up to her bedroom to lay her on her bed.

  This was the second time I had to carry her up to her bed but I didn’t mind. The sight of her in peace, calm and collected was as enough as a reward for having to carry her up to her up to her room. I lay her head on the pillow and covered her body with the covers. I knelt by her side on the floor and brushed aside the hair covering her face.

  Somehow, I felt like I wanted to just sit there and watch her sleep. Just by watching her sleep so peacefully on the bed made me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. I sat up and brushed aside the hair on her forehead before I planted a kiss there. I didn’t know why I did so but I just felt like I wanted to. Then, I leaned my forehead against hers and watched as a small smile creep up her lips at my action.

  I caressed her cheek with the back of my hand and whispered, “Goodnight, Min Young.”

  After that, I stood up and noticed the empty spot beside her. It was pretty tempting. I’ve been sleeping on the couch for a good week and could already imagine the stiffness in my spine when I wake up in the morning but what choice have I got. If I were to sleep beside her – who knows – I might just get kicked out.

  So, I just looked away and walked out the door, closing the door behind me gently to only produce a faint click. The image of Min Young sleeping soundly on the bed was a fixture on my mind. I smiled to myself as I visualized it and kept it there as I walked down the stairs. I then went to the fridge and took out the Tupperware filled with food she made for me.  

Dear Readers,

I know it seems kinda quick for an update but I have a lot of free time on my hands before my schedule starts becoming packed with homework, tuition and co-curricular activities... so, might as well make use of this luxury before it's too late when 2012 comes...

Hope you guys enjoy this chappie. To all readers and subscribers, I would just like to say.....

THANK YOU FOR READING!!!!!  ^^

Peace Out! Love,

Durian2003  >3<