"Er... Okay, I'll call you Deer." Seohyun is in fact still skeptical that all what "Mr. Deer" wants is a "chat", considering he dialed a phone line. "You sure you only need me to chat with you? 'Coz you're on a line after all and it's really quite expensive."

The cheerful man chuckles again and the sound is simply music to her ears. 

"Yes, I'm sure. I bet the money will be well spent with a girl possessing such a beautiful voice as you."

She feels her cheeks heat up just a bit. Having said all those unbearingly explicit things so many times, she has kind of trained herself to have a thick skin. So normally, that tad bit of compliment was not enough to make her blush. She wonders if his melodic tone was the cause of it all.

"Since mostly I do the talking, how about you start off the conversation first? Remember, nothing's off limits to me." She tells him as she anticipates what he has to tell.

"All right! I propose we take turns answering each other's questions, how about that?"

She indicates a 'yes' with a "mm-hmm" and Deer shoots his first question. "Why do you call yourself Keroro?"

She slaps herself on the cheeks at that. Gosh! She should have chosen a less stupid name.

"Well, promise you won't laugh... But I'm kind of obssessed with Keroro, ever since I was a kid. And I tell you, I can do a kickass impersonation of Tamama."

She hears a muffled sound through the phone and knows that he is stifling a laugh. 

"Yah!! Didn't I tell you not to laugh?"

"So...Sorry! I just could not help it!" He says between giggles. "To be honest, it's a relief that the origin of your nickname is quirky. After all, I do not call myself Deer for no reason."

"Well? Then what is it? You got kicked by deer when you were young? Tell me! Stop hitting round the bushes!" She whines impatiently, eager to get the chance of laughing at him.

"Well, it's nothing of that sort. It's just that...I look like a deer." His last words are a bit slurred but her sensitive ears catch them.

"You look like a deer?!" She says a bit too loudly that the man at the end of the line let out a painful groan.

"Will you stop attacking my ear drums? I swear they were on the verge of exploding."

"Mianhae," she chuckles lightly. "Why a dear? And not a cat or other animals?"

"Coz I got doe-like round eyes, duh?" He answers matter-of-factly.

"Was that suppose to be a narcisstic comment? Because it sounds like it." She mocks him, getting more comfortable with the situation.

"How about we stop dwelling on this and move on? All right, next question. How did you come to do this job?"

"Just say that I had financial problems. This job just seemed to suit all my criterias." She keeps the details vague. After all, he wasn't really someone close. She has no reason to pour her heart out, right?

"You can tell me more! It's not like I'm going to use this information against you! Or else you're a spy or something? Are you?" He does not seem satisfied with the answer and pursues her.

"Aish!! You really are a hassel!! Fine! I'm in fact a university student and the reason I'm even talking with you is 'coz I need to earn my living!" She nearly shouts and she can just imagine him pulling from the phone.

"What a coincidence!! I'm a university student too!! What subject do you take?"

She is about to answer him when she remembers how their conversation works. "Hey! I'm supposed to ask you a question!!"

"Oh! Okay!! Fire away!"

"Why are you dialing this number? Don't you have someone to talk to?" Before he could answer, she adds, "Don't try to put me off with a random answer."

"Well, I'm not like you." He ridicules her and she blushes at that. "Just kidding. To be honest, I just want a stranger to talk to. It's not like I don't have friends --- I tell you, I've lots of them--- but sometimes it's just suffocating. There are just too many voices for them to hear mine." He confesses.

"You must be pretty rich then! Throwing your money to talk with a phone line operator! You could have went on omegle, you know?"

"Eww! That's just gross! Only a small population there actually wanna talk anything but !"

"You're full of paradox, don't you think? After all, line is somewhere you seek s. How would you expect anyone to hear you out seriously?"

"Firstly, I was just trying my luck. Secondly, I thought the notion of being paid to listen me whine was not a bad deal. Someone's bound to accept my offer."

"That does make sense... So what's your question for me?"

"Yay! Finally my turn!" He says excitedly, making her smile at his childishness, "I was asking what your major is."

"I study literature." 

"Me too! What a coincidence!!" He blurts out.

"Then what's your favorite classic of all time?"

"That's A Tale of Two Cities for me!"

"Really? It's mine too!" She is certainly surprised that he shared her interest.

"We do have a lot in common! Don't you think?"

"As much as I'd like to deny, I think you're right!" 

The conversation goes on and before long, they have ditched their "rules" and were speaking freely like old friends. They shared their opinions on books, music, society and life, practically everything. When Seohyun looks at the clock later, 2 hours have passed.

"Are you sure it's all right for you to talk 2 hours on the phone? I have lost count of how much that costs!" She gasps at the possibly huge sum.

"No problem!! I would consider this money well spent! It's been a long time having someone listening to my every word non-stop for more than 10 minutes." She knows he's exaggerating but the notion just sounds so heart-warming. "You can pay for my lunch if we do meet one day!"

"How would I know you're not a freak or a ?" She says jokingly. Some people may find what she says offensive, but from the long conversation they shared, she knows he would not mind. 

"'Coz I'm one hell of a handsome guy?" He offers sheepishly and Seohyun laughs. 

"I bet you are! I better get going! Still have books to revise!"

"So, goodbye for now?"

"All right! Goodbye!" And she pushes the red button on the phone. 

The moment she cuts the line, she regrets. "I should have asked if he would be calling! Pabo Seohyun!" She hits herself on the head for being so careless. "He did say 'goodbye for now'! Does he mean he'll be contacting me again?" She thinks as she grabs her book to start her studying.

Her call with 'Deer' was definitely the best one since she started this business. She did not mind whether she earned much, speaking to him was a truely relaxing experience even if they have yet to dig deep into each other's personality or background.

Seohyun absolutely understands where he was coming from, saying that there was no one out there to listen to him. Growing up in a house of five people with her parents and two elder sisters, Jessica and Tiffany, it was difficult to be the centre of attention. She was not the attention-seeking type but wants only to be heard. But with her parents constantly busy, trying to earn money to feed the family and her sisters being much older and closer amongst themselves, her requests and thoughts are hardly their concern. She has friends but she never wants to bother them with her troubles when they have theirs to keep them busy. Slowly, she has bottled up all her problems, like being bullied or isolated because she was smarter than the popular kids. 

Well, she has yet to come clean with him about her darker side but there's something about "Deer" that makes her want to spill everything out to him. His voice is so soothing and has a calming effect on her. Though he may sound immature and oddly childish for a self-claimed undergraduate, she can tell that he is indeed intelligent and deeper than what he presents himself to be. She wonders what he looks like. Is he as handsome as he claims? Or is her bluffing? But she doesn't care. Seohyun is not one to pursue someone because of his looks. What she seeks is a man of thought, culture and affection.

"Let's just see if this deer will call! I will not dwell on this anymore! Fate will make its decision." She tells herself decisively and she resumes her previous reading. 

But somewhere in the back of her mind, she has a hidden hope --- a hope that the phone will ring once more and she'll hear the beautiful voice of the playful man she has just learnt of.

Author's Note:

I'm really sorry for the delayed and short update!! Please excuse any grammatical mistake as well!

I found this chapter really crappy since I had a writer's block as to what their converstaion should be! I know it sounds ridiculous to have a block at the early stage of a story but please forgive me :P

It would be great if you can offer some ideas for what they could talk about :D 

I will try to update soon!! Please kindly comment, it'll make my day!!