When I open my eyes, the first thing I notice is the sour taste in my mouth. The second thing I notice is how bright it is. I groggily turn over, grabbing my iPhone and checking the time. 7:42 A.M.

That can't be right. I flip through my phone's calendar and check the date. I couldn't possibly have slept for an entire day, could I?

Sure, my struggle with that man had left me feeling exhausted, but I never thought- that man! He should be here today as well, right? I jump out of bed and run down the stairs, confused by my anxiousness to see him. As I near closer to the backyard, excitement and nervousness bubble in my chest. After scanning the large backyard for the stranger, I spot him standing by the pool, cleaning it out with a leaf skimmer. As if he senses my presence, he turns his head to the right and makes eye contact with me.

His face brightens in recognition, and he sets down the leaf skimmer, walking towards me. I'm so nervous that it feels like someone's opened a jar of butterflies in my stomach. I hurriedly make an attempt to fix my bed head, cursing myself for not looking in the mirror before leaving my room.

When he's a few feet away from me, I open the door and he steps inside. "Hey," he greets cheerfully, wiping his forehead on his sleeve. "How are you feeling?" He leans against the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest, and it takes all of my willpower not to gawk at his toned arms. "I feel a lot better. I'm pretty sure I slept for the entire day," I answer. "How's your leg?"

"Still hurts like hell, but it's better than yesterday at least. Thanks for the bandage." He smiles at me and I self consciously return the gesture. Our conversation goes quiet, and I inwardly panic, trying to think of a new topic to keep the conversation going. "So," I start, my voice cracking obnoxiously. I look at the man and he smiles encouragingly, calming my nerves. I clear my throat before trying again. "What....what's your name?"

He takes his weight off of the door frame and covers the few feet between us, setting his work gloves on the counter and wiping his hands on his jeans. "I guess yesterday didn't really count as a proper introduction, huh?" He jokes, flashing his dimpled smile. "My name's Jiho, but no one really calls me that. I go by Zico." He extends his hand, and I take it. It's sweaty, even after him wiping it on his jeans. "Your name's Yukwon, right?" I stare in confusion, about to ask him how he knows my name. He answers my question before I can even ask it. "Your dad told me." I nod in understanding. Zico glances outside, then back at me. "Why aren't you outside? It's nice out today," he comments with a light, easy going tone. I feel all of my bitterness coming back when I think about the cause of my isolation to the outside world.

"I don't have anyone to hang out with. All of my friends are gone for the summer," I reply in a small, scornful voice. Zico gives me a weird look and nudges my shoulder. "That doesn't mean you can't have fun! Take a walk. Ride a bike. Go swimming!" He gestures towards my pool for his last suggestion. I think this over for a second before shaking my head. "Well what fun is it if you don't have anyone to do all that stuff with?"

He leans against the counter and shakes his head, smiling knowingly. "You need a different outlook on life, Yukwon. Be positive," he says encouragingly, wiping his forearm over his forehead again. I shrug my shoulders, watching a bead of sweat roll down his temple. "Are you hot?" I ask him. He closes his eyes and nods his head. "I shouldn't have worn long sleeves," he says out loud, though I feel his comment was more a thought than a statement. "Do you want something to drink?" I ask, already standing up. Zico opens his eyes and raises his eyebrow, caught off guard by my question. "Yeah, that'd be nice," he says thoughtfully, pushing his sleeves further up his arms. "Do you have any more waters?" I nod my head eagerly and try not to run to the fridge. I snatch a cold water bottle from the back of the fridge and throw it to him. He catches it effortlessly and easily twists off the cap. "Thanks," he says gratefully, chugging down a good portion of the water.

I take another look at the sweat on his forehead before deciding on something. "Wait, hold on a sec," I say before running up the stairs to my bathroom. Stopping at the mirror, I take a second to fix my disheveled hair. I walk to the cabinet and open it, smiling once I see what I'm looking for. I run back downstairs and spot Zico sitting in one of the barstools. "Here," I say enthusiastically, handing him the object. He furrows his eyebrows, turning the object over in his hands. "What is this?" He asks in an amused tone. I turn it back over and press it into his palm. "It's a cleansing pad," I state excitedly. "You just wipe it over your forehead so you don't get acne." He raises an eyebrow and smiles.

"N-not saying you have acne! It's probably just really dusty out there, and-" Zico's loud laugh saves me from having to explain myself any further. "God, you're adorable," he exclaims, cupping my face with his free hand. I'm pretty positive I almost have a heart attack. "I haven't had to worry about acne since I was...what, fifteen?" I closely examine his face and see that past all of the sweat, his face is completely free of blemishes. "Oh," I sigh, a bit embarrassed. "Well, do you want me to take it back, then?" I ask, already reaching for the cleansing pad. He moves his hand away and closes the pad in his hand. "No, I'll still use it. Thanks for looking out for my face," he says with a bright smile. I smile back, and I can feel my heart beating twice as fast as normal.

Zico stands up with a sigh. "Well, I'm gonna get back to work. Thanks for the water. And the, uh," he stops to look down at the cleansing pad. "Acne-thing." He swipes his forehead with the pad, then throws it into the garbage along with the empty water bottle.

He walks to the door but stops before he exits. "Come hang out with me in the backyard sometime. Well, if you want," he suggests almost shyly before ducking out into the backyard. I watch him for a few minutes as he resumes his pool cleaning, deciding it would be a good idea to take him up on his offer some time soon.

Maybe this won't be such a bad summer after all.