Narrator's POV

"Now is the only time I've noticed that you're naturally quiet," said Chunji. "It took you almost a week to notice?" Min Yu chuckled. "Maybe it's just the fact that you guys never seem to close your mouths. And you always have questions. The only conversation we have is when you ask and I answer," she added.

"You'll always experience unnecessary noise all your life if you're going to be Super Junior's daughter, and Teen Top's friend. You have to get used to it," he said, and pondered deeply for a moment.

"Maybe I should bring you to clubs or something," he suggested.

"Maybe I should punch you or something," she replied with a smile

"Maybe you should kiss me instead or something," he answered back.

"Maybe I should break up with you or something," she teased. He stopped in his tracks. "Come on. Stop joking with that breaking up thing. You're threatening me," he scolded. "Alright. Fine. I'd make it up to you," she said.

The couple was in Insadong, one of the busiest places in Seoul. Who would have thought that in this location, where cab drivers block walkways and children are everywhere, two completely opposite people would walk around, have fun, and enjoy themselves without ever thinking that one fears sickness, one feels unloved, and both are just trying to test out the complex waters of their relationship?

Min Yu's POV

"Come on, you have to try this," Chunji said, placing it in front of my face. It was simply...gross. "It's delicious. See?" he said, popping it in his mouth. "I'd buy you a mouthwash to drink," my face contorted to disgust. "Just try. It's jokbal. Come on, my treat," he offered. "No thanks," I said, shoving him away.

Jokbal is pig feet simmered in garlic, ginger, leek, rice wine, and water. "I'd eat tons of rice cake, pancake, fish cake, all kinds of cake. Just not that thing. It makes my stomach churn just by looking at it," I complained, walking over to the next stall.

I gazed curiously at one food stand that sells food which I could smell from a few distance away. I inched closer and got a pretty good view. The vendor was busily assisting some foreign customers who were also curious like me. I paid first, and took a stick.

I stared at it first before putting it in my mouth. The taste was incredible. I didn't know it could taste this good. "What is it?" Chunji asked behind me. "Boyd shilkurm," I replied incoherently with the food still in my mouth. "A what?" he repeated and took the stick I was holding.

Like me, he also stared at it but didn't bother to take a bite. "Is it delicious?" he looked at me. I nodded in response. He took a small bite of the already small food and tried to guess. "It's pretty good, but not as good as jokbal," he commented. "What is it?"

"Boiled silkworm," I answered. His eyes widened and spat the partially chewed material. "Hey! Don't waste food. I paid for that," I scolded. "Silkworm? Seriously?" he exaggerated. "Shut up. You're making the guy lose customers," I said, eating some more.

"Just buy all you can eat. And let's go," he whined, pulling at my arm. "I seriously love this. I want to bring home some of it and make them taste," I said and bought almost a kilo of boiled silkworm. It was seriously that good. I finally gave in and started keeping up with his pace. He was silent, and it was awkward.

"Are you mad because I made you eat silkworm?" I pouted...but still with food in my mouth. He turned to me coldly. "What do you think?" he asked, his hands in his pockets. I wanted to hold his hand, but it wasn't such a good idea at the moment.

We continued walking until the crowd thinned out, and the sun was near to its setting. We passed by an old Buddhist temple, and I pulled him to enter with me. "Nín fójiào?" (Are you Buddhist?) a Chinese monk greeted us. Chunji tensed beside me, not knowing how to respond.

But I smiled and bowed down to the monk before answering. "Meiyou. Zhishi zhanyang," (No. We're just paying our respects.) I replied. The religious man seemed to lighten up, and offered incense for Chunji and me. I tried to hand him money as payment, but he just shook his head with a smile and left us to pray.

"Just follow what I do," I ordered Chunji. I lit the incense sticks in my hand, and placed them in between my palms closed together. I bowed three times in front of the statue of Buddha, and stuck the lighted sticks into a jar in front of the Enlightened One. Afterwards, I closed my eyes and uttered a short prayer. In the corner of my eye, I saw Chunji do the same obligingly.

I thanked Buddha for everything, especially for the second chance at life. I thanked him for my family and friends, especially for the person beside me, for letting him become a part of my life.

I wasn't a Buddhist. I wasn't even Chinese, but I believe in religious toleration, and that every man has his own god. The main point was respect. Buddha, Allah, God, or whatever name you call him, it's still the Creator, the all-seeing divine.

I opened my eyes and waited for Chunji to do the same. I bowed once again to the monk and thanked him, and left afterwards. "What did you pray for?" he asked, and his mood seemed to lighten up.

"I didn't pray for anything. I just said thanks," I replied smugly.

"What were you grateful for?" he pressed.

"Everything," I looked up at the sky. It was almost sunset. He seemed contented with my answer.

"What did the monk say? I had no idea. It was all just asdfghjkl in my head," he turned to me curiously. "He said you should try and eat silkworm," I replied gesturing to the plastic bag in my hands. "You just want me to hold that thing for you. It must be heavy," he let out a laugh, and I knew I wasn't in trouble.

His hand fought to get the bag from me, but I carried it out of his reach, and instead reached for his hand. "Hold my hand instead," I mumbled, and laced our fingers together. He smiled, and held it tighter.

"Am I that bad?" I asked a few moments later, as we walked hand in hand along the streets. It was a half an hour walk from Insadong to our house, but we didn't mind. Chunji raised his eyebrow at me confusedly.

"As a girlfriend, am I that bad?" I repeated. He seemed to contemplate for a minute, but still didn't give a response. "Be honest. Say what you want. I'm ready. Just give me an answer," I demanded. I looked at him, and he nodded.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I know I at this thing so badly and maybe you feel I don't care. I know I'm so cold at times, insensitive, and  don't seem to care at all. But I appreciate little things, even if I don't show it. I-- no. I won't say anything. I'll just show you. I promise you, I'll change for the better," I said.

"Thank you. I appreciate it. I really do," he responded, ruffling my hair. We kept on talking and laughing about random things until we reached the doorstep of my house minutes later.

"Thank you for today," I said while stopping just in front of our house. My parents probably weren't looking for me. They knew I was with Chunji. "No. Thank you. You became my tour guide once again. And for dinner, if that's what you call it. And for bringing me inside a Buddhist temple. And fo--" "Everything?" I interrupted.

He sighed. "Yeah, pretty much everything," he agreed with a smile. "Do I still need to pick you up tomorrow morning?" he asked. "No thanks. I don't want to be a burden, and to be a cause for your tardiness. I'd just go myself," I replied.

We were silent afterwards, just contented with us being together. "Come here," he said and opened his arms out wide. I let myself be entangled in one of his bear hugs, but overall I was thankful.

"Thank you. I appreciate you being honest with me earlier. And for riding in on the whole Buddhist thing," I said. He chuckled a bit, and kissed the top of my head.

"I love you," I said first. I looked up, and saw him smiling. "I love you too," he said, and this time, kissed my lips.

It was in those short but special moments that I know that it was the reason I was given another chance to live. It was those moments I had to treasure, the moments I have to remember and hold on to for the rest of my life. The spark, the electricity coursing through my entire body...it was thrilling.

Who would have known that in that same doorstep, where I fully accepted Leeteuk to be my father, and where I had tightened the grip on my backpack when I ran away that frightful night of my accident, I would realize how important Chunji was to me? I had no way of knowing if he feels the same.

But that was the risk and run of being in love, right? To risk everything just to know if the person you love could do the same.

We slowly pulled away. "You have to get inside. It's getting cold," he reminded. "Take care. Text me when you get home," I reminded back. "Sleep early," he said and I nodded. I saw him walk away, but a question suddenly popped inside my head. "Hey," I called out to him.

He turned around, but didn't come any closer. "Do you think I should marry the vendor so he'd cook boiled silkworm for me?" I asked. He just laughed, waved goodbye, and walked away. As his figure became smaller and smaller, to the point that he was out of my sight, I went inside.