NOTE: Semi-mature stuff in this chapter. It's kinda implied and not descriptive. :P

The rain died down into a drizzle after pouring heavily for almost half an hour. It was already dusk and lights started to submerge the city in a sea of multi-colored architecture. Throng of people moved seamlessly—all were eager to get to their destinations. This was a usual feat for such a large city. Everything seemed so fast… even time appeared to fly by in just a blink of an eye. That was what made a lot of people love this city. New York was a place of both triumph and adversity for them. And there you were—slightly hunched and freezing—under a canopy of an old bookstore. You were warming your hands which were covered in thin gloves. And how badly you wished you were wearing mittens no matter how ridiculous they looked like. Winter looked beautiful but what came with it said otherwise.

Clad in a wool coat, you decided to walk under the light rain clutching two large paper bags. You shivered briefly as the cold seeped its way even deeper inside your body. The thought of the warm hotel room and who was waiting there made you push your legs faster.

“Good evening.” The middle-aged doorman greeted you. “It’s very cold today.”

“Unbelievably so.”

You sighed in relief when the warmth of the hotel lobby enveloped you. You were itching to have a warm shower and eat something delicious. Quickly, you went straight up to the 24th floor and into the suite where Seung Hyun was waiting.

He was sitting on a chair browsing his phone looking incredibly dapper in a tuxedo (which he told you he always had packed whenever he would travel). His black hair was styled to perfection and even without an ounce of makeup, he looked so handsome you felt your heart clench at the sight.

“You look miserable.” He remarked as soon as he saw the state you were in.

Huffing, you carelessly threw the bags on the bed and frowned at him.

“Who wouldn’t when I just submitted my application and then you called me that we would be attending a gala tonight?” The annoyance you were feeling only made him smile as he stood up and ruffled your damp hair.

“If I had known earlier, I would’ve bought you a dress myself.” He planted a soft kiss on your cheek and with a smile said, “I’ll wait for you at the bar. Don’t take too long.”

As soon as the door closed, you went straight to the bathroom and did everything in record time. It was a good thing that you brought makeup that you had come to love. It had been a while since you really put effort in making you feel much more confident. The last time you did makeup like this was when you went to Seungri’s club last summer. Snickering, you put on the burgundy lipstick you wore that night—remembering how it smeared on the side of Seung Hyun’s mouth when he accidentally almost kissed you. Your feelings were such a mess back then and somehow… you felt thankful that you had come to experience that whirlwind of emotions. As time passed, you learned from everything that had happened.

You simply blow-dried and let your hair down—knowing that it would take too much time if you styled it. Looking at the mirror, you were surprised at how long it had gotten over time. It reached down to your waist and you considered if you would cut it anytime soon. The dress was incredibly minimalistic. You were rushing to find something to wear earlier and just resorted to buy a slim black dress. It hugged your curves perfectly and the ends almost reached the floor. The cut on the chest was low enough for the top of your cleavage to be shown and the straps were of the same fabric as the rest. What made the dress not boring was the other side… revealing the whole expanse of your back—from the shoulders to the waist. The confidence it gave you was so high that you posed in front of the mirror for a good minute before finally heading downstairs.

Seung Hyun was seated at the bar with a cocktail in hand. You surveyed him as he quietly finished his drink. He had come from Los Angeles a day ago and you flew to New York to meet him. You arrived late last night and was all jetlagged. It was good timing to say the least. He was the one who urged you to pursue graduate studies after all. Having already applied to Royal Art College, you took a chance to also apply in a couple of art schools in New York. It was a long and thorough discussion in his villa a few weeks ago. He had told you about his artist friends and how great it would be if you could continue your studies. In all honesty, you had thought about it even when you were still in Cologne but never really had any specific goals in mind—knowing how you just went through a dry spell in your chosen field. Having a job and getting to pay for your own bills made you feel secure.

And then Seung Hyun just had to ignite that spark in you. He was the reason you started painting again and he kept you inspired in his own little ways. You realized that art was the first thing that made you as a person. There was no way you could ever stay away from it. And with Seung Hyun’s encouragement, you had finally come to a decision.

He saw you approaching and maybe it was the cozy ambiance of the bar… but it made him look so dashing when he stood up—his eyes not breaking away from yours. He met you halfway and once he was standing right in front of you, his lips curved into a small smile as he checked you out quite brazenly.

“Simple and elegant. It’s very like you.”

The smile that appeared on your face made his eyes soften.

“Can’t you just say I look very beautiful?”

“You look very beautiful.” Seung Hyun chuckled. “But that coat doesn’t go well with your dress.”

The brown wool coat looked too casual for a black-tie event. But you wouldn’t be wearing the coat inside so why did it matter?

“I only packed two coats and this is more acceptable than the other one.” He only grinned at your snappy response.

The benefit gala Seung Hyun was suddenly invited to was already in full swing. People clad in their finest attires were mingling around the art museum—making small talks over glasses of champagne. You had attended galas before… but nothing of this scale. Famous artists and art collectors were there and you could only stare wide-eyed as you passed by them. Seung Hyun was walking a little ahead of you since the two of you had decided that it would be better not to cause anything. Someone could recognize him and a stolen photo could lead to disaster. You shivered at the thought.

“T.O.P!” A man in his 40’s strode to where Seung Hyun was. He was beaming like a proud uncle as he and Seung Hyun shook hands. “It’s good to see you’re here despite the late notice.”

“Thank you for inviting me.” He replied in English and the pride you felt swelled in your chest—knowing how much you had been tutoring him English in your spare time as well.

His eyes went to look for you and then walked to stand beside you. “This is Y/N… my interpreter.”

That was what you two talked about in the car earlier. The nostalgia that was hitting you at that moment was making you smile.

“You’re stunning. I would’ve thought you were his girlfriend.” The museum director’s eyes were sparkling and you simply responded with a good-natured smile.

They talked for a few minutes and you translated at some parts when Seung Hyun couldn’t express himself well. It had been a long time since you interpreted for him and a torrent of memories of the time you spent with him in Germany came to you.

The older man went to greet and socialize with the other guests and Seung Hyun was approached by different people one by one. You did your best to stay beside him and translate the difficult parts of their conversations. With a glass of champagne in hand, you hadn’t noticed that you had finished it in between the talks.

“Want another one?” Seung Hyun gave the empty glasses to a passing waiter and took another two in return. “Let’s walk.”

He was avoiding being approached—probably sick of the same questions and answers for the past half hour. The museum was huge and housed a lot of contemporary art. The two of you marveled at the Western and Asian paintings displayed on the clear white walls—taking time to assess and discuss each that you found interesting. When dinner was served, you ate in relative peace seated around a table full of strangers. Live music set the atmosphere of the event but as the night went on, you started to wish you were on a bed watching YouTube videos with Seung Hyun.

“Stand there.” He pointed at a large abstract painting. The two of you were exploring the second floor of the museum. There were not a lot of people milling around thus making you more at ease.

You walked to where the painting was and you glanced back to see him staring at your exposed skin—hair on one shoulder. Since you had entered the venue, you were always standing beside or behind him. And seeing him wide-eyed just then made you feel triumphant for some reason.

“Yah.” He suddenly called out as you turned around to face him—the impressive painting standing right behind you. “I thought your dress was simple.”

His ears were extremely red and you fought the urge to laugh. “It is.”

“I just saw your whole back.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

With knitted brows and pursed lips, he looked like a little boy who was very disapproving. “I don’t like it.”

You frowned. “Well, I love it. And you don’t have a say on what I wear.”

He walked to where you stood and was about to shrug off his Tom Ford jacket when you stopped him.

“Don’t. You’ll look weird without it.”

Stopping then, his eyes hardened as if he was holding back his temper. It was the very first time you had seen him clench his jaw right in front of you. You had no idea why… but you felt annoyed by the way he was behaving as well. He probably needed space and you would give that to him.

“Stop being ridiculous, Seung Hyun.” You addressed him by his name and he looked at you confusedly. “I’ll go to the restroom and I’ll ju