I ran towards the door, grabbed the door knob, and swung it open immediately without knowing who it was. I didn’t care much. I just wanted to get out of there. Jae Joong was standing in front of the door, startled and eyes wide opened with one hand behind his back. I hoped I didn’t scare him too much.

“Hi..Is something wrong?” He asked worriedly.
“Hey! Oh no..everything is fine.” I shook my head and chuckled nervously. Oh crap! The mess inside my apartment might scare him more than that. I must not let him in! I dashed out and closed the door behind me. Then I turned to Jae and faked a smile.
“Here, this is for you.” He held out the hand that was hidden behind his back and handed me a bouquet of red roses.
“Aw thank you! You didn’t have to.” My face lit up, completely forgetting about the encounter earlier.
“But I wanted to.” He smiled. “Well, shall we head out?”
I nodded, beaming back as we head towards his car. He opened the door for me and I got in.
“I’m taking you to this popular restaurant, which is also my favorite. Hopefully you’ll like it.” He turned the engine on and we took off.
“Where is it at?”
“You’ll see.” He gave me a quick glance and winked. My heart literally melted inside me.
“You look very beautiful you know?”
“Thanks.” I could feel myself flushing. Luckily, it was dark so he couldn’t see it.
 
We arrived at a Japanese theme restaurant located on top of a hill somewhere in LA with a nice city view. It was magnificent. Glancing at the menu, I looked completely lost so Jae recommended me a dish. We ordered and waited for the food to arrive.
“So, how long have you been a nurse?” He asked.
“Interning and volunteering since I was 19. But officially a nurse since last year. I’m 23 now.” I was having a hard time making eye contacts with him. He was just too cute.
“Oh. So you’re younger than me by 3 years.” He smiled. “What makes you decide on becoming a nurse?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Don’t worry I have all the times in the world. Let’s hear it.”
“Haha, alright then here goes. Five years ago I had a major accident. Well, you know I was trying to be a hero and all, but failed. I was walking down my neighborhood and saw a little girl playing with a ball. She threw it and it landed out in the middle of the street, and she just ran out like that to get it. At the same time a car was coming so, I didn’t know what to do I just threw myself at her and got hit. The girl was alright though.”
“Are you serious?! But, that was very brave of you.” His smile faded. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”
“Haha well, I got lucky. That time I broke my spine, hip, leg, and fractured my skull. The doctor pronounced me dead. But somehow, I came back alive and healed. Weird huh? I must’ve been really really lucky or something.” I forced a laugh, trying to ease the mood. Luckily, the waiter came back with our orders just then and we started eating while I attempted to change the topic.
“Was the book My Brother an inspiration of something in your life? I know it’s fictional but it just seemed so real. So heartfelt and emotional and…”
“It’s nonfiction.”
“What?”
“It was based on my younger brother’s life. Mine and his.”
“Oh..”
“Mhmm.” He nodded as if he understood what was going through my mind. “He was my only family. And then one day, he left me just like that.” His eyes twinkled and became sunken. He looked down at his plate, trying to hide his emotion.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” I was speechless. I didn’t know what else to say to comfort him.
“That’s fine. It’s a while ago.” He looked up at me and smiled. His smile was rather forceful.
“After this, would you like to see a movie with me?” He quickly changed the subject.
“Uh..sure.”
“Are you okay with horror movies? Or would you like to watch a comedy?”
“Horror’s fine.”
“You’re not scared of horror movies are you?” He joked. His mood was slowly returning to normal.
“Not at all.” I laughed to myself. He really had no idea what kind of horror I’ve seen.

We drove to the nearby theater and saw The Return of Jack the Ripper. It was gruesome, though most of the time I was too occupied with the encounter I had back in my apartment to notice. I felt uneasy and unsafe, like I was constantly being watched. Thinking I was disturbed by the blood and gores, Jae Joong slowly wrapped his left arm around me and pulled me closer to him. Resting my head on his chest, I could hear the rhythm of his heart beat. The cologne he wore was light and easy on the nose. The warmth of his body eased my worried mind.

“I hope you had fun today.” He said as we arrived in front of my apartment.
“I did. Thank you.” I smiled back, clutching the bouquet of roses close to my chest.
For the first time, we made direct eye contacts that appeared to last more than 5 seconds. We stood there, gazing into each other’s eyes in awkward silence, both minds contemplating on the next step. Jae Joong decided to take a step closer to me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to his chest.
“Even though we just met not too long ago, I feel like the world is no longer a lonely place when I’m with you.” He said as we embraced. “Thank you for spending your time with me today.”
His words took me by surprise. They radiated waves of warmth and comfort like his body. He pulled me back and gazed into my eyes once again. He leaned in closer until he was an inch away from my face and hesitated, but decided to proceed as soon as he saw my eyes closed. His soft lips gently touched mine, so tender and warm. Our kiss was innocent, yet fervent, brief yet everlasting. The tingling sensation prolonged even after our lips have parted. It was the best night of my life, or so I thought.

“I’ll call you.”
I nodded as I gazed into his sparkling eyes. However, my gaze was suddenly distracted by another figure behind Jae Joong, who vanished as soon as it caught my eyes. I turned pale.
“Are you alright?” Jae asked after noticing my expression.  
“I’m fine. It’s late I better get inside. You should go home, drive safely.” I quickly fumbled for my key to unlock door so that Jae could leave before anything bizarre might happen to him. I did not want to involve him in the kind of danger I’ve been facing.
“Ok, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He waved, then turned and walked to his car. I watched through my window as he drove off, hoping that whatever it was that I saw out there will not follow him home.

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A/N: Hey guys! Sorry if this chapter was a bit plain..no action and (no Hyun Joong >.<)! lol but i just need to get the romance going between Jae and Shin Hye...just so Jae won't be lonely u know? He needs some lovin too man! haha. So, are there more fans of Hyun Joong or Jae Joong? And I'm thinking of adding a 3rd male character but dunno which celebrity to pick..my mind was leaning towards Lee Hong Ki. What do you guys think?