He did not understand why she charmed him that much.

It’s not like he had not seen any girl who was that pretty. He had seen lots of other girls that prettier. Some of them even goddess-like ones.

But no one, not a single one, of those girls could make him watched them like he watched her. Like all of his senses were only able to focus on one spot, to the enchanting moves of her lips and eyes when she laughed.

It was even worst for him because he did not know who she was.

He had seen her twice a week (and every night in his dream lately), but he had not even talking to her, properly (since received her order was not really a conversation).

“Hyun Joong!”

His best friend shoved his hand in front of his face to wake him from his now-its-a-habit trance that he was always having every Thursday and Friday afternoon.  The times when a girl with a long hair, a small but lovely round face, and a slightly swollen-like eyes where in the café.

“You’re spacing again.”

Jae Joong hopped into the stool in front of his bartender table while smirking widely.

“Hi Jae.” Hyun Joong poured a glass of draught beer and pushed it to his best friend who gladly took and sipped the treat. “Where is your better half?” He lifted his left eyebrow when he did not see the blondie icy princess whom Jae Joong usually had in his tail.

His best friend shrugged. “She has an audition.”

Hyun Joong raised both of his eyebrows. “She had so many in the past, but why aren’t you there now?”

Jae Joong looked like he was having a hard time to hide his annoyance. “I hate the script. I do not know why they have to sneak in a kiss scene in it.”

Hyun Joong laughed. “I can’t believe you. It has been two years of dating her and you still that possessive? I thought you support Sica to pursue her dream?”

Jae Joong threw both of hands off the air and glared at him “I know! I know! But still…. “

“Excuse me; may I get a bottle of Sparkling Water?”

A soft and feminine voice startled them both.

Well, startled Hyun Joong and amused his best friend, to be corrected.

“Uh… eh….” Hyun Joong stuttered when the girl who he was gawked at for almost three months ever since her first visit to the little café that he was working as the manager.

“May I get a Sparkling Water, please?”

The petite girl smiled awkwardly to him when she saw the intense look he threw her way, but when he still locked his eyes at her, she also could not shifted her eyes of him.

After a few silent and awkward seconds, a hand shoved the bottle in front of both of them.

“Here Miss, apologize for my friend, he had been working so hard this morning and few sleep so he sometimes lost his concentration.”

Jae Joong smiled widely when he saw the two other people on the scene snapped from their battle of stares.

“Uh thanks.” She blushed when she realized that she had been spacing out like that. “Here. Please keep the change.” She gave the note to Hyun Joong and then turned her body around so quickly before he could say anything.

“So Min! What took you so long?” Her friend shouted at her when she reached them and then tugged one of the girls before half running out of the café.

“You’re drooling”

Hyun Joong finally shifted his gaze off the door to meet the smirking face of his best friend.

“Go to Jessica, Jae, she must be waiting for you.”

He threw a napkin to Jae Joong who then winked at him before leaving with loud laugh.

“I’ll find her details for you if you ask nicely!”

*****

 

few days later

 

 

“So Min!”

Hyun Joong threw a glance at his left side when he heard someone shouted the name of the girl who had been occupying his head for the last couple of days. Curiosity filled his head that he decided to turn his motorcycle around to the direction where he heard her name was shouted for.

And then it happened again.

His eyes accidentally met her beautiful ones.

Well, not accidentally because he was sure she was looking at his way when he caught her gaze.

“So Min!”

He stopped his motorcycle and jumped from his vehicle when he saw her suddenly fainted. Not really thinking of what he was doing, he caught her before her head met the concrete.

“Uh, Miss?”

He shook her softly but it seemed she had lost her consciousness.

“Uh, Sir?’

He was too engrossed with her (and worry with her condition) to realize that another girl was sat beside them.

“She… she’s fainted.” He stuttered in an attempt to explain the awkward situation.

The other girl nodded. “I know. I was afraid so a few minutes ago. She used to be like this when she was busy and forget to eat properly.” Then she took out aromatherapy oil and shoved it in front of So Min.

He watched the scene in front of him in confusion, but his hands did not let her go, supported her body so she was safely tucked into his lap.

The other girl smiled. “My name is Joo Ri. This is So Min.” She smiled widening when he only nodded as if he already knew the fainted girl’s name. “But I guess you’ve known that.”

He blinked and for the first time fully concentrated on the Joo Ri’s comments.

“What do you meant?”

“I saw you several times in our departments several times these past few days, watching So Min.”

He blushed. He thought no one knew it.

“Did… did she knew it?”

Joo Ro giggled now. “Of course!”

He closed his eyes to hide his shame. “Oh!”

“But don’t worry.” Joo Ri suddenly changed her tone to whisper. “She watched you too.”

Hyun Joong’s eyes snapped open. “She…. She did?”

Joo Ri nodded enthusiastically then mimicked the girl in his lap whose breathing turned into a normal path now. “ ‘He looked at me, Joo Ri! He is finally recognizing me!’”

Hyun Joong unconsciously shifted his gaze to So Min and his smile finally reappeared. He was not the only party involved here.

But then the fainted girl chose that time to open her eyes.

And their eyes met again.

Time stopped for a while for both of them when they were immersed into the opponent’s eyes, until a loud cough brought them out from their trance.

So Min jolted her body into a sitting position when she realized where her body was lying to.

“I am… I am…”

“Are you okay?”

She blinked when she heard the soft and caring tone of the man who invaded her mind for sometimes now.

“Uh, I am glad you’re alright Min-ah.” Joo Ri jumped into the conversation. “You forget to eat breakfast again? Thanks to this nice ahjusshi who caught you on time or you would be fainted on the ground.”

So Min’s cheeks suddenly turned red. She fainted at him?

“Anyway, I am late. I have to run.” Joo Ri shifted her gaze to the man whose focus (as she suspected) was on her best friend. “Ahjussi, may I ask for help to take So Min to her apartment?”

So Min startled when she heard that. Her best friend was trying to set her up again. Not that she rejected, this time.

“Of course.” Hyun Joong suddenly felt so lucky. And so bold. “I’ll ensure she’s get there safely.” Then he smiled. “And call me Hyun Joong. Nice meeting you Joo Ri-sshi.”

Joo Ri clapped her hands gleefully. “Great! Nice meeting you too, Hyun Joong-sshi!” Then she threw a glance at So Min who was still sitting on the ground with blushing face. “See you in a bit, Min-Min!”

Then just as when she appeared, she left the scene in a flash.

So Min was still looking at her best friend’s direction with annoyance, when she saw a hand being offered in front of her. She looked up and saw him was smiling at her and gestured her to took his hand so he could lift her up.

She took it and when she was starting to thank him when he chuckled.

“Min-Min?”

She let out a tiring sigh.

“Joo Ri thinks it is cute, but I actually despite it.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

He laughed. “But I think it fits you.”

She lifted her face to retort when she saw his mouth twitched in amusement and her sense was lost again.

“She’s right, you know.”

“Wh…what?”

“You’re cute.”

She blinked.

He winked.

She could feel her cheeks blooming into a shade of very deep red.

And then she felt a tug on her hand. Uh, she forgot he still held her hand.

“Let’s go.”

“Uh?”

“I promised Joo Ri to walk you home. I won’t ditch my promise.”

He pulled her softly so they were walking closely.

She looked at their joined hand and wondered what she had done right to be able to do that with the man she had been trying to get his attention since the first time she came to the café and accidentally saw him laughing with his friend behind the bar table.

Since then she came to the café regularly just to see his smile.

Honestly she did not know why he was enchanted her like that. There is no one that able to shake her like that, not even the handsomest and popular boys at her department.

“Hop on!”

She blinked again and realized that he was talking about the motorcycle.

He took an extra helmet and helped her put that in her head. Then he hopped into the driver seat and then patted the passenger’s seat. She sat there quietly.

He was starting the engine when he suddenly chuckled.

“So you’ve been watching me?”

She blushed behind him.

“I…I…”

He smiled so brightly behind his helmet.

“It’s okay. I’ve been watching you too.”

“Oh!”

She smiled shyly but happily while watching his back.

“Min-Min?”

“Uh?”

“Hold on tight, I’ll keep you safe on the journey.”

She sneaked her arms into his waist and held on it tight.

His smile was widening. Jae Joong was right.

Falling was not always a bad thing to be in.