Hyejeong says: I can find the right person for anybody. Even you!

Hyejeong kept Seolhyun waiting forty-five minutes on her next visit. Her assistant, Sojin had called the day after her first appointment. It was now Friday. Since she’d been on pins and needles for three whole days, an additional forty-five minutes didn’t bother her.

Today would be when Hyejeong would announce whether she’d found her a match. She couldn’t figure out how, based on their brief conversation, Hyejeong would be able to match her up with the perfect person. Maybe, as Mina said, it really was all about her ability as a psychologist, her scientific study of her lengthy questionnaire.

For three nights now, she’d been like a kid at Christmas—only instead of sugar plums dancing around in her head she saw hearts. Someone who were just as eager for the very things she wanted—a relationship and family, security, a sense of belonging and a lifetime filled with love. Her perfect match.

“Dr. Shin will see you now,” Sojin said in the same crisp tone she’d used on Seolhyun’s first visit. Seolhyun bounded up from the chair as though she’d been under a spring. Despite her eagerness, she tried to move slowly and calmly.

When she entered her office, she found Hyejeong sitting at her desk. Without looking up, Hyejeong gestured for her to sit, too. Seolhyun did, perching on the very edge. She didn’t expect an apology for being kept waiting and wasn’t disappointed. When Hyejeong eventually looked up, she noticed darker roots in hair that had escaped her attention last time.

'I wonder what she would look like with light blonde hair' Seolhyun mused to herself.

“What are your plans for Christmas?” Hyejeong asked. Of all the things Seolhyun had expected her to say, this wasn’t it.

“Ah…I’m not sure yet.”

“Family plans?”

“Not really.” She hadn’t talked to her sister yet. Her mother and stepfather lived in Hawaii and it was unlikely that they’d fly in for the holidays. Her father…well, she hadn’t spent Christmas with him since she was five or six. “There’s just Yuna and me.”

“And Yuna is?”

“My sister. It’s on the questionnaire. She’s—”

“Ah, yes,” Hyejeong broke in. “What did you do last Christmas?”

“Well, let me see…” She tried to remember where she’d been and with whom. Was it last year that Mina—

“This shouldn’t be so difficult,” Hyejeong said.

"It was eleven months ago,” Seolhyun shot back. Hyejeong's attitude irritated her. “As I recall, Yuna and I went out to eat. Mina, a friend of mine, was supposed to join us but at the last minute she couldn’t and what exactly were you doing?” she demanded.

Hyejeong blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?”

“Where were you last Christmas?”

“As I said last time, I'm the one asking questions."

Seolhyun made an effort to hold her temper. “I guess that slipped my mind. But I was allowed one question then, so I assume that’s the case today, and I’m asking it now. So where were you last Christmas?”

Hyejeong exhaled slowly. “Right here in Seoul.”

“With friends and loved ones?”

“That’s more than one question.” The taller girl looked pointedly in her direction. “Shall we continue or not? The choice is yours.”

Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, Seolhyun tried to regain her equilibrium. “Yes, let’s continue, although I don’t understand what last Christmas has to do with anything.”

“That’s not your concern.”

“Are you always this bossy?” She realized she was asking yet another question, but she couldn’t stop herself.

“I am when I feel I can find the right match for a client. An annoying one, I might add.”

“Really?” That was worth all the insults she could issue, Seolhyun decided. She slid so far to the edge of the chair that she was in danger of falling onto the carpet. “You actually have someone in mind?”

“I do.” This was said in a clipped, businesslike way. She waited, but she wasn’t given any more information other than that. “Before I introduce you, there are a few matters we need to attend to.”

“Fine.” Her heart felt as if it had moved into .

“My fee is thirty thousand dollars.”

“Yes, I know…That’s a lot of money.”

Hyejeong glanced up. “I thought you were aware of my fee. If you can’t afford me, then I suggest you leave now and save us both a lot of time and trouble.”

The money was safely tucked in Seolhyun’s savings account. “I put it aside for a wedding, but obviously there won’t be one without a groom. I’m willing to make the investment.”

“Good. Then I’ll introduce you to Joong Ki.”

“His name is Joong Ki?” Joong Ki was a nice name, implying that he was a nice man; she liked him already.

“Before I introduce you—”

“There’s a money-back guarantee, right?”

“I’ll explain that in a moment.”

“Okay, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She wanted to capture every single detail of the meeting so she could repeat it all to Mina.

“I have three tasks I want you to complete first.”

“Excuse me?” She wondered if she’d misheard the matchmaker. Seolhyun was waiting to hear about her perfect mate, and she was talking about tasks? What was this, homework?

“These are qualifying tasks,” Hyejeong was saying. “I need to be sure you’re the girl for Joong Ki.”

“But…no one said anything about needing to qualify!”

Hyejeong ignored her ou