"Sorry. Something came up and I can't make it to our date today."

"What? Again??"

"Sorry baby."

"Sure... Next time then..."

I hung up my phone and sunk into my seat, clutching at the small device. I looked at the seat of the cafe booth across from me where he should have sat by now. It was largely empty. At the sight, I was unable to hide my upset, my disappointment. If the only thing I felt was disappointment... I was more so incredibly frustrated at my boyfriend. This was already the fifth time he cancelled on me this week. And I knew exactly why he was so busy these days.

I still couldn't believe it though.

After all these years... How dare he?

Feeling the anger and hurt come at me freshly, I tossed the phone onto the table, sending it the best glare I could.

"Something came up, my ," I scoffed. "I know you're cheating on me, you !"

Letting out a puff of air, I brought the straw of my iced tea to my mouth, taking a long sip. I felt stupid, talking to a phone. I should be talking to him about this issue.

I stared at the phone, then at the empty seat again.

I was alone.

This was not how I imagined today. I was hoping for a legitimate date with my boyfriend. I wanted to go eat at that one popular restaurant we promised to go to; I wanted to go shopping down the streets, holding hands; I wanted to go watch a movie and feed popcorn to each other, like we used to do; I wanted to go to the fountain by the park at night and see the stars.

It had been so long since we've done those things...

Yet he wasn't here.

The jerk.

"I should have broken up with you long ago! You think I can't get a better boyfriend than you? Hah! You're seriously underestimating me, you know. I'm just choosing not to. I could if I tried! Maybe not... right away, but at least he would't cheat on his girlfriend he's been with for three years!..." I complained. I sighed deeply, leaning my head back into my seat and closing my eyes shut. I took another breath. "I should have broken up with you..."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Why? Why? Because... Because! I was thinking about our memories together. All the time we've spent together. The things he did for me... The things I did for him... We've been together since high school, first loves actually. How can you just throw away something like that?"

"Seems like he has."

"I heard all men cheat at least one in their life. It's in their nature."

"Uh huh."

"He's just having a weak moment, that's all. Some girl took advantage of him."

"Right."

"He'll come around. He'll come back to me. He will."

"Positive?"

"Yes!... No matter what people say, first loves do last. And I'll prove it."

Even though that's what I said, I grew depressed at the thought of my boyfriend as my anger left me. My belief wasn't as strong as I showed it. He had been so, so sweet when we first started dating in high school. Even after we graduated, we still held strong. Yet, in the last year, he had changed drastically. We didn't go on dates anymore. We didn't call each other or talk. Even when we were together, he was always on his phone. I was trying so hard to be understanding, to be patient until he realized the wrong he was doing me and come back. Every day, one dreaded question grew and grew: was he really getting sick of me?

I furrowed my brows, frowning. I didn't want to think about it; I refused to think about it. It always gave me a migraine. Time would fix things... I hoped.

"The bigger problem is, what do I do for the whole day now?"

"Hmmm... Good question."

...

.......

...........

Wait.

Wait wait wait wait wait.

Something was wrong.

Wasn't I sitting in the booth, alone? Waiting for my jerk of a boyfriend, alone?

Wasn't I... alone?

Then...

Who in the world was I talking to??????

At the sudden realization, I shot up in my seat. My wide eyes landed on a strange guy who was occupying the the previously empty booth across from me. The first thing that caught my attention was his hair, bleached a light blonde; I was usually against asians who went with such a stark blonde, but for some reason, it was good on him, even against his slightly tan skin. He had pretty eyes too, a nice shade of brown, curved upward into a smile. He had a straight nose, complimented by full lips wrapped around a straw, sipping iced tea...

That was my iced tea!

"Wha-? You-? That's mi-" I stuttered out quite eloquently, in my opinion, pointing my finger at the stranger.

"Hm?" he asked casually, taking another sip as he raised an eyebrow at me in amusement.

I stared back at him, dumbfounded. Who was this person and who did he think he was?

"First," I started, leaning over and grabbing my drink out of his hands. "Mine."

I placed the cup down on the table, giving him a stern look.

"Second. Who are you?"

"The person you were talking to."

I looked at him unamused.

"No, really? What about trying a name?"

"It's Jung Dae Hyun."

Dae Hyun... The name sounded vaguely familiar, yet I couldn't place it. Where did I hear that name before?

"Are you a student? What school?"

"The university down the street."

"The university down the... That's my school! I go there too," I said, a little happy to see a fellow student. I must have met him at school once or twice. Come to think of it, I felt like I've seen his face a few time around campus.

He nodded at me, as if it wasn't news to him at all.

"Okay fine. Third. What are you doing in that seat?"

Dae Hyun smirked, reaching over and grabbing the cup away. He took another sip, mocking me as he looked straight at me while he drank.

"Yah!" I shouted, glaring at him. "I paid for that."

"Not that I mind playing Q&A, but isn't it a better question to ask why your boyfriend isn't in this seat instead?"

Ouch. He brought down a hammer to my sensitive spot.

"That's low," I hissed, folding my arms. Didn't it cross his mind that I was embarrassed enough to start with, having him - a random stranger - listen to the status of my love life?

It didn't, apparently. Dae Hyun swirled the tea around in the cup leisurely, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

"What does it have to do with you? Just hurry on your way, you can finish that if you want," I said spitefully, waving him away. This day wasn't getting any better.

He set the cup on the table and slid it towards me.

"I have a suggestion for you."

"Suggestion?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. What was he getting at now?

"I know how you can spend the day."

"...How?"

Oftentimes, I feared that my curiosity could very possibly be the death of me.

"What about... going on a date with your boyfriend?"

Anger flashed through me as my nostrils flared for a split moment. "Are you playing with me? You know exactly what my situation is. He can't make the date."

A sly smile found its way on Dae Hyun's face. He leaned forward on the table, cocking his head the to side.

"So why don't you replace him for the day?"

I stared at Dae Hyun with my mouth hanging open as I registered what he said. Replace my boyfriend? What kind of person did he think I was? Or maybe he just didn't have the highest moral standing.

"Honey, it doesn't work that way," I spoke, taking a sip of my drink as I started to lose interest in what he said.

"It could~" he sang.

"It could, and it would be called cheating."

"Ah, see, you misunderstood me. What you would be doing today wouldn't be called cheating."

I stared at him again, wondering if he was a little ill in the head. What logic played in his mind?

"Uhm..."

"Try and be open minded. Your "real" boyfriend promised to be here today, right?"

I nodded.

"But he's not."

I nodded again.

"So you're just getting someone else to keep his promise for him. To you, that someone else is your boyfriend, just in a different... shell."

"What do you take me for? Do you even know my name?" I questioned him angrily. Did I look like I was someone to cheat, using that lame excuse?

Dae Hyun let out an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes. "Han Sun Hwa. You're two years my sunbae at school. Everyone knows you're super nice and super devoted. Happy?"

I gaped at him again, wondering how he knew me so well when I barely recognized his name.

"Then! How come you're being so casual when you're younger?"

He raised his one eyebrow at me. "Really? That's what your concerned about right now?"

I frowned, unhappy with the direction this conversation with Dae Hyun was going.

"Just see it like this: the guy you would be putting in his place isn't anyone new. He's your boyfriend, coming to keep his promise. You would be doing all the things you planned to do today with him. It's not cheating, in the literal sense."

I wouldn't fall for it.

"It's better than going back home to erase all that pretty make up, change into sweats, grab a bag of chips and watch dramas all day, right?"

I wouldn't fall for it. I wouldn't fall for it...

"Your boyfriend wouldn't have hesitated like this. I bet he would never bother to find out either."

I wouldn't do that to him...

"Just go," I managed out. "Stop trying to lure me into the dark side."

Dae Hyun sighed again. "Fine, I was just trying to help you. Just remember why you're boyfriend isn't with you right now. Think about what he's doing at this moment."

He stood up in his seat.

What my boyfriend was doing right now... He was probably on a date with some girl he met at a club. They were probably holding hands as they walked down the street. I bet he was buying her food and jewelry, or anything cute that the girl wanted. They were probably watching a movie, with his arms around her. Eventually, they were turn to look at each other in the dark of the theatre, then bring their faces closer...

I shut my eyes again, not wanting to imagine it. I didn't want to see it again. And here I was, trying to be faithful to him.

Stupid.

As Dae Hyun walked passed me, I grabbed onto his arm. He turned back, an amused look on his face. I looked up at him, still unsure about the whole thing. But I was tired of being put aside by my boyfriend.

"So who would be the replacement?"

Dae Hyun gave me a confident, satisfied smile.

"Why, me, of course."