-Aerin’s POV-

“Nai-Nai, I missed you so bad~!” I said as I took Grandma Ji’s hand, feeling the warmth that I missed as I looked into her faded brown eyes that had the sharpness of a hawk’s. We sat on the table at the backroom of her dumpling shop reminiscing about the times when my parents and I would come to her shop every Lunar New Year. I’ve been longing for the time when I’d set foot on her shop again and I was near tears when I saw her after entering her shop.

Her familiar dimpled smile came into view as she patted my head. “You’ve grown so much, Aerin,” she said in fluent Korean. I forgot about that fact. Her eyes filled with sadness out of the blue. “I’ve heard of what happened to your father. I’m so sorry.”

I smiled at her. “He’s at peace now, Nai-Nai. Don’t worry about it.”

“Your father was a good man.”

“I know.”

“I see you’ve brought a friend,” she said, tilting her head sideways to look at Sehun.

I followed the direction of her gaze and smiled at him and Lu Han oppa. They were a good distance from us as they’ve decided to catch up on each other. Apparently, they knew each other from where Sehun came from and that was great. It was a small world indeed. “Yes.” I looked at Grandma Ji again. “He’s my mother’s ward and he’s very much how Lu Han oppa is to me.”

A knowing smile spread across the old lady’s time-beaten face. “I see.” She chuckled gently still eyeing Sehun.

“What is it, Nai-Nai?”

“He’s a good lad, yes?”

I nodded. “Very. He provided me and umma with distraction right after appa passed. He came a few months after that and since then, he had been living with me and umma. He’s family.”

She took my hands this time. “He’s more than family, correct?”

I sighed. She misses nothing and I just nodded.

“Yes. I see by the way he looks at you.” She smiled at me. “But there’s a problem,” she stated without inflection.

My eyes widened and that just confirmed the answer she was looking for.

“Another boy?”

I nodded sadly. “They both love me. I can feel it and they’re both good people. They make me feel important and…” my voice trailed off.

“You can’t decide.” She chuckled. “Oh young love.” She was teasing me.

“Nai-Nai~!”

She laughed more. “You’re not the little girl who used to gobble up my dumplings anymore.”

I smiled toothily at her. “I can still munch on the dumplings you make. They’re the best.”

She eyed me seriously which made my smile disappear. “You know what I’m talking about, Rin-ah. You’ve got to know how to judge matters in order to make your decision.” She stood up and disappeared behind the counter. She came back after a while, holding two plates of dumplings, shrimp and beef.

“Are those for me?”

She nodded. “But you can only have one kind.”

“Nai-Nai~,” I whined. First, it was my father who came in form of a dream, making me choose between two chocolate bars and now, she was making me choose between two kinds of dumplings, both of which I loved. She just knew me too well.

“Can’t I have a taste of both?” I asked her as I picked up the chopsticks and she hit my hand with her fan. “Ouch!” I gasped. I see she still hasn’t gotten over that habit. Poor Lu Han oppa. I chuckled nonetheless.

Nai-Nai frowned at me, looking incredulous. “You want a taste of both?!”

I nodded.

“Silly, girl. Why don’t you just go ahead and get a taste of trouble? You’re being illogical.”

I grinned at her. “Love is illogical.”

“You have one heart to give one person, dear. That’s not going to change.”

I pouted, letting my lower lip jut out and without thinking, I speared a shrimp dumpling and shoved it in my mouth.

Her eyes became severe as if a storm was forming in them. “You seem sure about it. I reckon you went to the temple to consult.”

“I did,” I said in muffled tones as I chewed on the amazingly scrumptious dumpling. “This is good~!”

“And?” Grandma Ji queried, not sidetracked.

“I think I knew the answer even before asking.” I sighed. “I’m going with it…I think. I guess it is in accordance to what I really feel. I was happy when the answers came out. It’s absurd.”

“Then what’s holding you back?” Her probing gaze made me divert my eyes and I ended up leaning my forehead on top of the table as I swallowed the dumpling. Did she put truth serum in it? I can’t lie to her.

I shook my head. “I’m afraid I would hurt one of them.”

“Hurting is a part of it all, love. It’s inevitable especially that you’re caught in the middle. For whom does your heart beat the most?”

“Umma?” I said dumbly and Nai-Nai pummeled me on the head with her fan. “Ow!” She stood up from her seat abruptly and I had to beckon her to sit down again as I glanced behind us. Lu Han oppa had that pained look on his face while Sehun was just confused.

“This child! If you pretend not to understand what I’m saying then you’re not going anywhere!” she scolded me in Mandarin

I rubbed my head. “Aigoo, Grandma Ji! It’s your first time to see me in a long time and you’re hitting me with that fan?” I took a closer look at it. “It’s even the same one you used to hit Lu Han oppa with.”

“Kwon Aerin, listen to me and you listen well. If you are to choose, follow what your heart dictates. The mind wouldn’t provide you with any good answers when it comes to such matters.”

“It’s so complicated.”

“Yes. I know.” She chuckled. “You were very sure you were going to marry my Lu Han when you last came here.”

“We were kids then. Maybe I’ll just choose Lu Han oppa to get things over with.”

She shook her head. “Remember what I said, arasseo?”

 I winced. “Arasseo.”

She nodded. “There’s a good girl.” She shrugged. “I’m tired, dear. I hope you would drop by tomorrow again. I need to retire for the night.”

I set down my chopsticks and took her hand, closing my eyes as I planted a small kiss on her aged hand. “Have a good rest, Nai-Nai. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She nodded dismissively.

“Uh…Nai?”

“Yes?”

“Can I have the dumplings?”

She shook her head at me. “Have as much as you want. I’m going.”

“Xie xie, Nai-Nai~!” Now I’m happy.

She chuckled then went up to the top floor of the shop where her room was while I took the plates and darted to where Sehun and Lu Han oppa were seated. I placed the plates in the middle, eyeing them gleefully as I sat beside oppa.

“So…what do we have here?” Lu Han oppa said, shifting his gaze from me to Sehun with a mischievous streak as he grinned.

Here comes Grandma Ji Number Two.

-Lu Han’s POV-

I still can’t believe I was looking right at the two people from my past, both of whom I couldn’t forget as they’ve played such important roles in my life. First, there was Kwon Aerin. I met her when I was twelve. She was but a petite, eight-year old, Korean girl who came to my grandmother’s shop for the first time with her parents while I was on my summer vacation. On the other hand, I was a grumpy kid, harboring bitter thoughts about his parents. I