"You'll be here tonight, right ?" Ga Eun asked.

"Yes Eonni. I will." I replied.

"We'll have a good time together."

"There aren't many people, are there ?"

"Don't worry ____, you don't have to be shy."

"Okay, I'll see you tonight then."

 

          I hung up after our small talk. It had been a week since I had met Hoya at the shop. I had not seen him again. As for Ga Eun, she was still under the spell of her coworker. They had become good friends, according to her, but their relationship wasn't evolving as quickly as she wanted it to.

          So, she had decided to organize a party at her place. She hoped it would make her crush feel at ease. Maybe he would get to know her better and fall for her personality. She wanted him to get into her private life, away from their routine at the gym club.

 

          The day passed by quietly and, when my work shift was over, I went straight to Ga Eun's place. She had several things to prepare and I wanted to help her out. She was still in the kitchen when I arrived. She hugged me tight so as to express her gratitude.

          When everything was ready, Ga Eun locked herself in the bathroom. She was there when someone knocked on the front door. I glanced at my watch as I sighed. We had been so focused on cooking that we had not seen time pass by. The first guests had gotten here already and I was the one who had to welcome them.

          

          My mouth fell agape as I opened the door. This face, this perfume, these lips..

 

"____ ?"

 

          Hoya looked surprised. We had never thought that we would run into each other here.

 

"What are you doing here ?" he asked with a smile.

"Do you know Ga Eun ?"

"We work together. How do you know her ?"

"You're her.. colleague." I stated.

"Yes, I started working at the club a month ago."

".."

 

          A sigh left my lips as I recalled my past conservation with Ga Eun. I had no idea she had met Hoya. And the situation was worse than I could have ever imagined. If my presumption was right, she had been talking about him all that time. She had fallen for him. For the one whom I had considered as my soul mate.

 

"____."

 

          Hoya's voice seemed distant as I was lost in my thoughts. The warmth of his hands on my shoulders brought me back to earth. I looked up to face him. I loved the way he smiled. I loved every details about him.

 

"You must be happy to see me again." he chuckled.

"It's unbelievable."

"Fate has decided to reunite us."

"It seems so."

"How do you know Ga Eun ?"

"She's my friend. My best friend."

"____ ? Ho Won ?"

 

         We were interrupted by Ga Eun.

 

"Do you know each other ?" she asked.

"Ho Won ?" I repeated while looking at him.

"That's my real name." he explained. "But I think Hoya is better."

"Who's Hoya ?" Ga Eun wondered.

"It's my surname, for close friends and family." 

"And is this how ____ calls you ?"

"I didn't know it was a surname." I said.

"Ah it doesn't matter.." Ga Eun shrugged it off. "Let's go to the patio."

 

          We followed the host outdoors. I had always liked the patio at her place. It was a nice area where a soft breeze would ease hot summer nights. Ga Eun sat beside Hoya as I made myself comfortable on a chair in front of them. The two started talking about their work. I felt like an outsider. Indeed, I had never been good at sports.

          My fist clenched automatically when Ga Eun put a frivolous hand on Hoya's shoulder while talking. It was obvious that she was trying to seduce him. She was wearing a dress that revealed her fine body line. I looked at my own clothes, which were rather simple, and sighed. If only I hadn't come to Ga Eun's place to help her, I would have been able to put on better clothes.

 

          Their conversation was cut off by the sound of the bell. Ga Eun excused herself and went back inside to welcome her new guests. Hoya sat closer to me to benefit this moment.

 

"I didn't know you were Ga Eun's friend."

"I didn't know you were a two-timer."

"What ?" he quivered.

"You're really attracted to her, aren't you ?"

"Not really. Ga Eun is nice, but I'm not particularly interested in her."

"That's not what she has told me." 

 

          Hoya was about to reply when Ga Eun came back, followed by two other men and a woman I had never met before. I introduced myself formally and bowed. They all did the same. Then, we sat down together while Ga Eun was busy serving drinks. Once again, I felt uncomfortable as the guests only talked about sports or their job. My attention was drawn to Hoya and also to the way my friend would look at him. 

          Even at the table, during the meal, she sat beside him. Whenever he joked, she lightly touched his shoulder and almost threw herself at him. I wondered if she was trying to show her feminine forms. I had never seen Ga Eun behave like this. It was driving me crazy. She wasn't the woman I used to know. She had turned into a seducer. And her target was the man I had been dreaming of.

 

. . .

 

          The evening had been.. boring. I had not talked much and Ga Eun's behavior had pissed me off. I had been disappointed to see Hoya let her do whatever she wanted. He had not taken her hand away from him, he had not told her that he wasn't interested in her, he had not done anything.

          I decided to go back home after the dessert.

 

"Thank you for the meal Eonni." I said.

"Make sure to call me when you're home."

"I'll send you a message."

 

          I walked to the lounge where I had left my bag. Hoya walked behind me.

 

"Can I take you home ?" he spoke softly.

"I don't live far from here. I can walk."

"It's not safe for a beautiful woman to be alone at this hour."

"It's not dangerous." I smiled. "Now, go back to your friends."

"____, let me take you home."

 

          His eyes met mine and I felt my heart skip a beat. I had seen his attractive side, his confident self, but I had not seen his cuteness yet. He was looking at me with pleading eyes while pouting.

 

"Okay..."

 

          Hoya's face brightened as I accepted his proposal. He rushed to the dining room where he greeted his coworkers. Ga Eun gave me a questioning look and I shrugged. She was probably wondering if Hoya and I were leaving together. However, I didn't want to tell her about our previous meetings. She had to ignore that we had fallen for the same man.

 

          Once we were outside, I was surprised to see Hoya leave the residency instead of going to the parking lot. He grabbed my hand when I slowed down.

 

"Don't you have a car ?"

"Nope." 

"I thought you wanted to take me home."

"This is what I'm doing."

"Well.. this isn't what I expected." I laughed.

"I was with my friends earlier and they drove me here. So, I don't have a car."

"Ah.. okay.."

"You don't live far from here, right ?" he asked.

"Not so far." 

"Let's walk slowly, I want to spend more time with you."

"Aigoo.. you're really something !"

 

          He intertwined our fingers while showing me his most beautiful smile.

 

"I'm not interested in Ga Eun."

"Is that so ?"

"Yes, I don't know if she thinks otherwise. But I want you to know the truth."

"You're really important to her." I revealed.

"I like another woman."

"Really ?"

 

          Hoya brought my hand to his lips for a tender kiss.

 

"Really." he affirmed.

"I've never been close to a man I've just met."

"You're lucky. I've never been close to a man."

"Gosh.. you're stupid." I pinched his cheek.

"Honestly.. you're the first woman who has such an effect on me."

"What do you mean ?"

"I've met women before, I've had relationships." he paused for a few seconds. "But I had not fallen in love at first sight."

"Lo-love ?" I stuttered.

"Don't worry ____, we'll take our time and get to know each other."

 

          His grip on my hand tightened. I didn't know what to say. He had been on my mind since our first meeting. I had also thought about what the fortune teller had told me. I had imagined how nice it would be to date Hoya. Yet, those were all reveries.

          Hoya's hand linked to mine, his sweet words, his presence, I wasn't dreaming anymore. He was here. And he had special feelings for me.

 

          We reached my house after a while. Hoya released my hand so as to let me take the key in my bag and unlock the door. Then, I turned to him.

 

"Thanks for walking with me."

"Is this all ?" he frowned. "I thought you were going to let me inside."

"Ah.. it'd be embarrassing. I don't think I'm ready. If you can just give me-"

 

          I was cut off by his tasty lips. Reality hit me slowly. I felt his full lips on mine. His hand was on my back, holding me close. His kiss sent butterflies to my stomach. It deepened when I cupped his cheek. His lips moved in synchronization with mine, it was a magical kiss. The most passionate yet respectful kiss I've ever had. I was already out of breath when he pulled away.

 

"I don't need an explanation, ____."

"Thank you."

 

          His lips found mine again.

 

"I'll wait for you." he whispered.

 

          This time, I was the one who initiated a third kiss. When I set him free, he caressed my cheek and wished me a good night. He promised that we would see each other soon. I watched him walk to the nearest bus stop while smiling like an idiot. I had never been so happy in the past. Hoya brought colors to my life and I was thankful. I drifted off to sleep early to meet him one more time in my dreams.