Fancy Meeting You Here
25 Days Of Falling In Love
December 12, 2010
It was a bright and chilly afternoon in Seoul and Seohyun was enjoying the weather inside a warm little café. She was seated in the back with a cup of tea, her laptop, and the stack of new books she bought yesterday on the table. She had gone to the café after lunch to catch up on any missing school work and to just read. Seohyun had literally spent hours at the café. She looked up at the clock and saw that it was 4 p.m. Seohyun reached into her large backpack and took out her journal. She turned to the page where she made a To-Do-List in the morning.
“All I have to do is wrap the Christmas presents I bought and I’ll be done for the day.” Seohyun put her journal back, tucked a piece of her long brown hair behind her ear and resumed reading her book.
Just as Seohyun turned the page of her book, her cell phone began to ring. She sighed as she picked up her phone.
“Hello?”
“Hi Seohyun, it’s me Minhyo.”
“Hey Minhyo, how are you?” asked Seohyun.
“I’m fine, thank you.” replied Minhyo. “I’m calling to inquire if Seowoo told you about your meeting with the CEO of SM Entertainment.”
“Yes I did!” said Seohyun as she smiled recalling yesterday.
“Just wondering because all the people that worked with you for the music video were invited in to determine your possible deal. So, they all keep asking me if anything has happened yet.”
Seohyun nodded. “The meeting is scheduled for December 18.”
“I’m super excited for you! It’s such a rarity that a rookie would be in a company so fast. The CEO was watching some of the edited clips and he just kept on raving about you.”
“How’s the editing process anyways?” asked Seohyun. “Is it almost done?”
“I think all the major editing is done. Give it a couple of days. Teasers will come out soon.”
Seohyun felt her heart skip a beat. She suddenly felt nervous. The music video was going to be out sooner than she had thought.
“Are you excited?” asked Minhyo, interrupting her thoughts.
“Of course I am, but nervous at the same time.”
Minhyo chuckled. “It’s natural.”
“Hi, can I have a venti iced coffee?”
That voice.
Seohyun snapped her head up and looked towards the cash register and couldn’t believe who she saw.
“Uh, Minhyo I have to go now but I’ll call you back later.”
The two hung up and Seohyun began making her way to the front.
“Here’s your iced coffee sir,” said the barista.
With her arms crossed Seohyun said, “I thought I told you that coffee wasn’t good for your health.”
His soft brown eyes met hers with a shock. “Hyun, what are you doing here?”
Seohyun gave him a soft smile. “I should be asking you the same question. Shouldn’t you be in Busan?”
“I got called in by my company,” said Yonghwa as he paid for coffee. “I have a schedule to keep in Seoul for awhile.”
Seohyun nodded. “I see, well I was just sitting over there, catching up on schoolwork. I return to the university tomorrow.”
Seohyun then invited him to sit her and chat.
“Oh, studious Seohyun,” teased Yonghwa as he took a seat. “I’ve never had these many books at one go in school.”
She chuckled. “These aren’t for school, these are my books I read on my own.”
“Oh, my bad,” laughed Yonghwa, playfully holding his hands up in a defeated position.
“Don’t you read?” asked Seohyun.
“If you think magazines and manga are reading, then yes. I do read.”
Seohyun scrunched up her face in disappointment. Books may not have the same meaning for her as to everyone else.
Yonghwa set his iced coffee down, empty except for the ice cubes which he was chewing on, and said, “Let’s do something together today.”
“Like what? It’s late afternoon already.”
He shrugged. “Anything! The last time I was in Seoul was to shoot a photo shoot. I didn’t have any free time for myself.”
“I saw that by the way,” replied Seohyun. “You looked really good.”
He wiggled his eyebrows teasingly at her. “I know.”
After what seemed like endless chatting, the both realized it was getting darker and darker outside. Seohyun decided to invite Yonghwa to her house since he showed her the same courtesy in Busan. Seohyun didn’t live that far away from the café. With her things in tow, of coruse Yonghwa helped carry her books, they made their way to her house.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived outside her home.
“Welcome to my house,” said Seohyun as she the foyer lights.
They both took off their shoes and Seohyun led the way to her living room.
“No one’s home?” asked Yonghwa.
“My parents are both out from work,” She set her things on the coffee table and took both their coats to hang in the closet. “Would you like anything to eat or drink?”
“Sure,” said Yonghwa standing awkwardly in the middle of the living room.
She chuckled. “You can sit down,” She tied her hair up in a ponytail. “Do you like apples?”
“Of course,” Yonghwa sat down on the couch, looking around him. “Your house is very cozy. Do you have any siblings?”
She shook her head no as she got out the blender. “It’s just me and my parents.”
It was silent for awhile as Seohyun began to peel and cut the apples for it to be put in the blender.
“Do you play the piano?”
“Yeah, I do,” replied Seohyun as she started up the blender. “Classical and jazz.”
“I can see that, with all the awards on the piano. I wish I knew how to play the piano.”
The apple drink was perfectly blended as she poured it into a glass cup. “Oh come on Yong, you have to know some chords since you play the guitar.” said Seohyun as she gathered some grapes on a plate and took both the apple drink and grapes to the coffee table. Seohyun looked over at Yonghwa who was beckoning her to play.
She obliged and sat down on the piano bench. With her hands lifted in a playing position, Seohyun closed her eyes and began to play ‘Moonlight Sonata’ by Beethoven.
It was comforting. She hadn’t played the piano seriously in a long time and right now it felt great.
An applause from Yonghwa ensued once Seohyun finished. She looked over at him and smiled once she closed the piano lid. “That took twelve years of practice.”
Yonghwa laughed. The two sat down on the couch.
Seohyun nudged him. “Try the drink, it should be refreshing.”
Yonghwa nodded as he took a sip. His eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, it is!”
“This should be your healthier alternative than iced coffee.”
Yonghwa gave her a smirk as he popped a grape in his mouth. “We’ll see.”
“Seohyun ah,we’re home!”
The two snapped their heads up ti find both Seohyun’s parents entering the living room.
“Oh!” A happy and brighter smile appeared on Seohyun’s moms face. “You have a guest.”
Yonghwa immediately stood up from his seat and introduced himself with a small polite bow.
I told you about him mom and dad, he was my co-star for the music video,” said Seohyun.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” replied her mom. “You must be hungry! I’ll go ahead and make some dinner.”
As her mother went off into the kitchen, Seohyun’ father sat the two down and began asking Yonghwa a million questions. Seohyun stared at Yonghwa as he answered each question cooly, which varied from how old he was to what his future plans were going to be. Of course, being embarrassed by how nosy her father was, Seohyun kept away from the conversation hoping it would go faster.
The savior words of her moms sweet voice finally yelled, “Dinner’s ready!”
It was awkward as Seohyun and Yonghwa took a seat at the table. She gave him an apologetic smile and he replied with a simple nonchalant shrug.
“So Yonghwa, I bet my husband has already asked you so many questions.” said her mom laughing. “He tends to be like that with new people.”
“A man of very little words,” chimed in Seohyun. “But with a million questions.”
Her dad gave the women of the family dirty looks as he dove into his dinner.
“I wonder how Seohyun was like during shooting. She never really told me much but just a few pictures.”
“Which she keeps showing to everyone,” but in Seohyun. “Your friends, Umma, are still asking me how Busan was.”
Yonghwa laughed. “It’s not something to be ashamed of Hyun.”
“I know,” She replied. “But it get’s annoying having to repeat myself over and over again.”
“Alright, alright. I won’t ask about it!” Her mom took a bite of her food.
Yonghwa shook his head as he looked over at Seohyun. “It’s alright I’ll be happy to tell you how Seohyun was.” He set his chopsticks down as he thought for a moment. “She was thoughtful. Always practicing the minimal lines she had but was always spot on with what needed to be done. Her hardworking manner brought a smile to all the crews faces. She was sweet and as a rookie, Seohyun did an amazing job.”
Seohyun gave him a grateful smile as he finished.
“See mom, I was great.” teased Seohyun.
“I never said you weren’t!”
The rest of the dinner was completed with loud boisterous talk and happy full stomachs.
Yonghwa announced, at about 10 o’ clock he had to head on home.
After her mom packed him leftovers and other foods she could find, Seohyun and Yonghwa began to make their way to the nearest bus stop.
Seohyun swung the plastic bag filled with food in one hand. “Thanks for tonight.”
Yonghwa looked at her. “I should be the one thanking you. I had a great dinner with your family.”
“They really liked you. My mom’s never just given anyone this much food in one go,” said Seohyun, pointing to the other plastic bag Yonghwa was carrying.
“Hey, free food for a couple of days,” smiled Yonghwa. “I wouldn’t mind that.”
They arrived at the bus stop, waiting for the bus to come.
“It was really nice seeing you today,” Seohyun turned to Yonghwa with a smile.
“That’s it.”
“What?”
Yonghwa starred at her with a small smile. “Your mom asked me what was the first thing I noticed about you. I couldn’t answer her at first but now I know it. It was those bright, shining eyes.”
Seohyun felt a blush creep onto her face. “My eyes?”
He nodded. “Your eyes.”
They starred at each other for a moment. A breeze blew in the air and pieces of Seohyun’s hair fell to her face.
Yonghwa then reached over and tucked a few pieces of hair away from her face. His finger lingered behind her ear for a moment before he quickly took his hand away.
Suddenly the bright head lights of the bus appeared before them.
Seohyun handed him the other bag. “Goodnight.”
The doors to the bus opened for Yonghwa, waiting for him to come inside.
He smiled once again. “I’ll see you around, Seo Seohyun.”
*NOTE I used the name Seo Seohyun so that in my story I don’t have to explain her real name and the deal behind her nickname. It was just easier and better to use her stage name as her real name. I know her real name is Seo Joohyun.
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