Usually, she was very considerate and tried not to be a bother to others. After all, who knew what they were going through and if something unexpected happened? But right now, Aejin was pissed off. She might be considerate, but her pride was seriously being bruised by this guy she'd been set up with.

She trust Heaven, the CEO who greeted her personally and helped her through the interview process, and when the guy was straightforward in his message about meeting her, she was excited. While she would've preferred something classier than a cake shop, he seemed to be blunt and to the point. Aejin was the same way and could appreciate another honest and to the point kind of personality. However, it's been 20 minutes and this Hyungwon guy has yet to show up. She huffed in annoyance, calling her best friend to rant. 

"Hello?" Yoojin's voice brought her off the edge a bit, but Aejin was still annoyed.

"Hey Yoojin. Tell me you're not busy right now, please." She crossed her legs under the table, her slice of cake barely being picked at because of her irritation.

"Yeah, but you should be busy! Aren't you on a date?" 

Aejin huffed, "I should be. It's almost a half hour past our agreed upon time and he's a no show."

"No!" Yoojin sounded scandlized. Thank god, someone was on her side about this.

"I'm being serious Yoojin!" 

Yoojin sounded annoyed, "Who does that? Oh my god, Aejin, just leave. Come over and we'll go out tonight."

"Oh no," Aejin shook her head, "Now it's a matter of pride. I'm going to sit here and call him out on Heaven's website if he doesn't show up before an hour's up. You don't just set up a date and leave someone hanging! I'd get it if something happened, but I'd like a message or something!"

"It's only fair." Yoojin agreed. Aejin sighed again, stabbing her cake with her fork in disdain. 

"So while I'm waiting, let me tell you what Haein got onto me about before I left, you won't believe what it was this time --" 


"I'm not going." Hyungwon repeated for what felt like the nth time this week. He felt like this was all he was going to say to his friend for the remainder of their friendship.

Joo Seung made a horrified noise from the driver's side. "We've been sitting here for over a half hour, she's probably inside waiting for you!" 

"So? You're the one who set this up. I don't want to date, dude." Hyungwon adjusted his glasses, making a face at the cake shop across the street from the parked car. 

"It's been three years, Hyungwon. I know it's hard, but," Joo Seung sighed, "She'd want you to be happy. You can't keep living in the past like this." He saw Hyungwon tense up. 

"I know she would." Was his quiet response, "But I don't think dating will make me happy." 

Joo Seung nodded, "I know. But would it hurt just to go on one date and see? Worst case, you two don't get along and you never see her again. Best case? You get to be happy and really move on. Or you make a new friend at the very least." 

Hyungwon sighed again, fidgeting with the strings on his hoodie. He knew his friend had a point. It wouldn't hurt to at least try. 

"It's not nice to keep a girl waiting, Hyungwon. If not for yourself or for me, at least do it for her." Hyungwon wasn't sure which 'her' his friend meant, but it got him out of the car. Before he knew it, he was checking his phone for his match information that Joo Seung had forwarded him.

"Woo Aejin..." He said the name to himself, memorizing the picture as best he could as he entered the shop. Putting his phone away, he looked around, spotting a similiar looking girl chatting away on her phone. Seeing as there were only couples besides her, he could only assume.

So he walked over, before saying hello and sitting down at the table. She looked at him with a surprised look, pausing her conversation before addressing him.

"Sorry, I think you have the wrong table...?" She asked, looking him up and down. Hyungwon adjusted his glasses. 

"You're from Heaven, right?" 

She was silent before her jaw dropped. "Oh my god, it's you. Okay, Yoojin, let me call you back, he's here -- yes, I'll tell you when I'm done, okay, bye --" She hung up, hastily putting her phone away before gving him her attention.

"Woo Aejin, nice to meet you." She stuck her hand out.

Hyungwon grasped her hand politely, "Chae Hyungwon. Pleasure." The waitress came over just then, asking if she could take his order. 

"Ah, give me a minute please, and whatever she is -- it's on the same check." He added, making Aejin raise her eyebrows. 

"...This is a date, right?" Hyungwon avoided eye contact, looking at the menu intensely in order to avoid further conversation. 

The waitress came around again, taking their orders and walking away to make their drinks. Hyungwon adjusted himself in his seat, "So... tell me about yourself." 

And thus started the conversation. Once it got started, Hyungwon actually got into talking. It wasn't that bad, he found. He discovered that she was a fashion designer and very busy usually, she loved animals, and she had studied in Montreal for a year. He revealed that he had a dog (to which led to twenty minutes of them looking at pictures of her), he was very, very clean, and he worked in software development. This date was actually going pretty well.

Their food came and the talking died down a little as they picked at their meals, occasionally making a comment about the taste or offhanded comments about their previous topics. 

Aejin's tea came in a beautiful teacup, and immediately she lit up, "Okay okay, I have a joke for you." 

"Why do we call them tea parties, when we could literally just call them parteas!" Aejin waited for him to laugh.... But he didn't.

"I don't get it." Hyungwon shrugged, going back to his food. The atmosphere went from okay to dead air awkward after that. Aejin didn't seem as cheerful for the rest of their date, but it didn't end badly. Hyungwon said goodbye after walking her to her car and then got in the passenger side of Joo Seung's car.

"I don't want to know if you've been here the whole time spying." Hyungwon shook his head as Joo Seung started back home. 

"How was it?"

Hyungwon was quiet, "Not bad. She seems... okay. A little odd, but I'm friends with you so..."

Joo Seung slammed on the brakes as they pulled up to a spotlight. "Oh my god, you made a joke."

"So? I rip on you all the time."

"Doesn't matter, you actually enjoyed yourself and that was a my goal. So, are you going to see her again?"

Hyungwon shrugged.

"You didn't set up a second date???"

"We might eventually, but I'm okay now." 

"...That's not how... Never mind. I succeeded once today and that's enough goal reaching for now." Joo Seung shook his head, pulling into their apartment complex.


The next day, Aejin was dreading coming to work. The portfolio for the formal season was due in a couple of weeks and today was workshop today. That meant they showed off their design ideas and got criticisms and compliments. It wasn't too bad, but she hated having to explain everything. 

"Just tell me if it looks good or not and I can sit down." She sighed, turning the corner to the elevator. Someone was stepping in, and she picked up her pace.

"Hey, can you hold the elevator please?" She called, and the stranger turned --

Oh. Well that wasn't a stranger.

"H-hyungwon?" She stopped, staring at him. He blinked, looking back at her.

"...Yes?" 

"Wow, Hyungwon..." She said, making her way towards the elevator. Aejin wanted romantic, but... how did he know which building she worked in? She didn't remember ever mentioning that...

He couldn't be creepy or anything, Aejin reminded herself, Heaven is very thorough with their background checks and interviews. If there was even a chance something was up, they wouldn't have matched them.

"Wow what?" He asked her as the elevator doors closed and she pressed the number for the 10th floor.

"You didn't have to surprise me at work, you know... You could've just messaged me." She joked, trying to laugh off the awkward atmosphere. It was like the tea joke all over again, because it didn't work and he didn't laugh.

"Uhm... I actually work here. KSsoft... it's on the 15th floor?" He motioned to the button for 15 which was lit up. 

Oh. Well... That made sense, she guessed. 

"So... interesting, haha. What are the chances, huh?"

"Not very high, but it is interesting." Did this guy not have a sense of humor or something? Aejin blew her bangs out of her face. 

"Okay, well... bye." She waved as it came up to her stop, trying to make a quick escape. However, he followed.

"...Wait." She turned towards him, hoping that the nosy secretary that was always by the entrance was on her bathroom break or not paying attention. Hyungwon seemed to be mustering up courage for something, and Aejin really hoped it wasn't a kiss. His lips looked chapped and she wasn't going to let her lips get cut on dry skin.

"Do you... want to go on a second date? I'll actually be on time." He offered, and she almost fell over.

"You... just made a joke." Well, that wasn't an answer but she swore she saw the corner of his mouth quirk up.

"You and Joo Seung seem surprised when I make jokes. I'm actually very funny." 

Aejin looked the boy up and down. "...I can't tell if you're joking or not." 

"Uhm, anyways..." Hyungwon rubbed the back of his neck, his glasses sliding down his nose. His skin looked dry, Aejin noticed. She should buy him some lotion or something for that.

"Oh right. Second date. Uhm... sure. Message me and we'll talk about it...?" She asked, waving her phone. 

"Oh yeah. Work. Yeah, I will. Uhm... Have a good day." Hyungwon waved, scurrying back to the elevator and pressing the button to go up. 

Maybe... it wouldn't be so bad, Aejin thought as she made her way to her desk. 

Author's Note