01 ∞ where it begins (again). . .

YOONA - - -

“I’m not that right person. I’m sorry.”

This.This is what I’ve grown accustomed to say whenever a man plucks up the courage to tell me he loved me. Sometimes I even forget the ‘I’m sorry’ part altogether because rarely ever am. They might have fallen in love with me – but I never got past the part where I thought they were interesting at best.                         

Love. I never felt it with any of them. Not since-

“Kimchi stew or sushi?”

I blink. Suddenly I’m aware of the man sitting across from me. He laughed as he shook his head, using his index finger to push the tip of my nose closer to my face.

“Yoong-pig, what would you like to eat?”

“Stop calling me that.”

“But you look like a pig! Oink oink,” he said playfully, ruffling my hair. I glared at him but laughed regardless, feeling no anger in his teasing. I was used to him teasing me everywhere anyway, whether it be outside on our little date nights or inside the kitchen during work.

Kim Kibum has been my best friend and work partner for years. After University we started running a catering service in the heart of Seoul and since then business has been going very well. He was somewhat of a mystery the first time I met him; his silence and serious personality gave him that feeling. If it weren’t for that day I was introduced to him, I wouldn’t have known how easygoing he was—and funny.

“Yoona. I know you’re- like – in love with me, but seriously staring at me so openly. It’s kind of embarrassing.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Dream on, Kim. I was just thinking about how incredibly stupid you look with your … pink floral shirt on.” I pinched his cheek from across the table, making him yelp. “How many times am I going to tell you that Hawaiian shirts do not suit you?!Take that off!”

“First off, I did not pick these out. I am meeting my mother later and she wanted me to wear these so she could see them. Second, I’ll have you know that real men wear pink. And lastly, I should sue you for ual harassment; asking a guy to remove his shirt in a public place. Im Yoona, have some manners!”

“You are so—annoying.”

“Yeah, but you love me for it.” He replied, grinning and I couldn’t help but return the smile.

“I heard from Sooyoung that you broke up with boy#4. What did this one do wrong?”

I glared at him. “His name is Siwon, okay. And he didn’t do anything wrong. It was me.”

“Right; and I’m a rubber ducky.”

“That is odd to the ears, Kibum.”

“Answer the question.”

I sighed and thought about it for a moment. A friend, Sooyoung, introduced Siwon to me at a party a few months ago. He was a little older than I was, but we got along so well – a date was almost expected. Siwon was a gentleman, attentive, sweet and caring. The ideal guy to introduce to your parents—but something was missing, and I knew what it was.

“I just didn’t like him as much as he liked me.”

That was the truth.

I never felt anything for Siwon remotely close to love to consider him as something more. Sure, I was fond of him and cared about him as a friend, but other than that—I felt nothing.

“You’ve seriously got to sta