As she wakes up, the ceiling is not that of her room. She cannot recognize the smell of her sheets either. Yongsun sits up and pulls the blanket at her, noticing she is still dressed. Only her coat is missing. She lets out a sigh of relief : great. At least, she has not been brought home by a man who only had one thing in mind. She eyes the room, trying to find her coat and possibly her phone. But as she crawls under the blanket to reach the chair on which her coat has been hanged, she is starteld by a voice.

"Coffee ?"

She looks in the direction the voice is coming from with rounded eyes.

"Minseok? How... "

He smiles at her and shrugs with a soft laughter, handing her a smoking mug of coffee. "You didn't call back yesterday."

Yongsun pinches her lips, knowing he is right. She has come home after retrieving Cherry at the vet's, went out for a drink because of Jongdae, but the rest of the evening is so blurry in her mind that she cannot remember the things she has done.

"I called Byul, but she only had a message from you and she was busy, so I offered to go and look for you."

It all seems so natural for him to act like this, to propose things like that. Yongsun looks at him, words refusing to come to her lips as she keeps shut. From what book is he coming from? From what universe? Byul must have been keeping him in a safe for years before presenting them.

"Its very nice of you..." Her voice is a bit lower than she would have tought. She looks down at the mug, admiring tiny waves that forms on the surface of the coffee as she moves the cup. It is so relaxing to think of something else than her problems. To think of something so meaningless and calming as this sight. She stops upon realizing that she owes him an explanation. "I... I didn't expect to drink that much. I'm not used to that kind of things."

"Why did you, then?"

She blinks at him and thinks for a while. Why has she drunk that much? Why has she decided to leave home and stay alone?

"Yongsun, I found you drinking alone in a bar. I just want to know why."

"I have no good reason..." She says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I just felt like it was the best thing to do..."

The best thing to do. It is a good way to summarize the situation, she thinks. She is not sure that Minseok would take it. Yongsun closes her eyes, taking a sip of the coffee before putting the bottom of her cup against her palm, realizing how stupid she is being.

"Why did you want? I mean, yesterday?"

The accountant looked at her colleague for seconds, hoping he will answer her question better than she has done with his. Minseok smiles softly, reassuring her as she takes another sip of coffee.

"I was trying to come up with an excuse to see you."

The straightforwardness of his answer prevents Yongsun from speaking and she keeps looking at Minseok, not knowing how to react. Why does he need an excuse? And why does he not simply ask? Minseok is a surprise. A constant and everlasting surprise.

"I... I don't understand."

Anyone would slap her for being blind and for refusing to hear what her heart is already aware of. Yet, there is only the two of them in this room, and she feels like her brain is about  to stop working.

"I want us to meet outside of the office. Without Byul."

His smile appears again and Yongsun feels her heart melt. She swallows thickly, her fingers clenching on her half-emptied mug.

"You mean... Like a date?"

Her heart is pounding so hard that she fears it might break one of her ribs. Is he joking ? It could be. Many would joke with a question like this one.

"Does it sound strange to you?"

"I... Well... Kind of."

She knows how wrong her relationships have gone so far. She knows that they are all going away once they meet her babies. Once they realize that she, Yongsun, is unable to live without them, not even for a day or two.

"I'd like to." She finally adds, offering Minseok a smile as she drinks another gulp of coffee. "Where would you like to go?"

"I thought of a small italian restaurant I've seen the other day... "

"Oh! I'd like it very much!" She smiles softly. She could always ask Byul to take care of the cats for the evening... "What time is it?"

"11 a.m., why?"

Her eyes become rounder and she stands up, looking all worried. She gather her belongings as fast as she can, then heads for the door. She stops after opening it, turning to Minseok.

"Sorry, I have to go."

"Why so suddenly?"

"The cats. I can’t leave them alone for too long."

Her babies she has left alone for the night. Her babies she has almost forgotten because of Jongdae, because of Minseok. Because of men. She cannot leave them alone any longer.