“Ahreum-ah! Ppali!!”

I stare at Hyojin who glares at me in her wedding dress. It’s the time for taking picture with the bride and groom. As the bridesmaid, I should be in frame with my best friend even though I’m drunk and it’s really hard to just move my feet. I remember when Hyojin and I were in high school, we thought I was the one who would get married first, but it’s Hyojin and her on/off boyfriend since high school, Park Chanyeol. I thought Hyojin and Chanyeol were joking when they told me about getting married a week after Chanyeol discharges from the army. But, here we are, in a luxurious hall with a lot of white lilies and roses. They use my favorite flowers to make me envy, and agree on the marriage that my parents try to arrange. I cannot agree on their stupid plan. No, never!

Hyojin wasn’t like this when we were younger. She always very thoughtful on everything, but things change after she met Park Chanyeol, my dearest cousin ever. I was always the one who was very impulsive on anything. I fell in love with my class mate, risked my whole life in a glance. He was my first love, and love at first sight, but we never made it official although I finally managed to get close with him on the senior year. Well it was too late. I couldn’t make move because he told me that he would move to US after graduation.

I dated a lot of men in 11 years through countless blind dates, but I never in serious relationship with any of them.  I thought I would get married in 22, but now, eight years later, I’m all alone. My parents, Chanyeol’s parents, and his noona try so hard to get me a man. It’s not that I don’t like the men they introduced to me; I just don’t think they are better than my perfect first love.

“Park Ahreum! If you don’t move your now, I will pull your hair!” Hyojin glares at me. Her eyes almost popped out of their place. I gulp and nod. Well, it’s scary to ruin her wedding with a catfight. I get up from my seat and I get dizzy immediately. I drank champagne too much…

I try so hard to not look like a drunken bridesmaid because all family and friends are watching, but it is too hard. I accidentally trip on someone’s shoes. I almost fall like a pathetic drunk single woman, but someone helps me from an embarrassing fall.

“Gwaenchanhaseyo?”

I nod and get up. “Ye, goma…woyo.” I smile at him but he frowns as if he is disturbed with the alcohol smell from my mouth. Aish!

“Ahreum-ah! Stand up!”

The cameraman tells everyone to get ready, but the man who helped me previously put his hand on my shoulder, I frown at him, but he smirks. “My name is Oh Sehun, can I get your phone number?” He whispers those words ily into my ears. Dammit! So eargasm! One turn off from his voice is that his strange pronunciation in ‘s’.

“Yah! This is my wedding!” Hyojin yells. She catches him flirts with me. Ok, behave Ahreum!

That Sehun dude releases his hands from my shoulder, but then he pulls me by my waist. Maybe I drunk, but I know how to treat a bastard like that.

“That’s a wrap!”

Before I throw my punch at that bastard, I’m pulled to a corner by that Oh Sehun dude. If I’m not drunk, I will fight him! Why no one is checking if I’m all right or not?!

That Oh Sehun dude grins at me as if he is a teenager. He is definitely younger than me, and I don’t date younger guy.

He takes my purse and takes out my phone; he types number and his phone ring. “I have your number, and you still drunk. Are you always like this? I mean, you don’t talk, or move or do anything?”

“Uh, huh.” I nod.

“That’s cute.” He says as pat my head like I’m a dongsaeng. I wish I could do something but alcohol always works differently in me. “Chanyeol hyung told me lot stories of you. I thought he joked about your habit, but he wasn’t.” He laughed.

I’m going to murder Park Chanyeol. I will ruin their first night for real!

“I couldn’t take the advantage from a paralyzed drunk girl even though I really like how you smell right now.”

I stare at him as helps me to sit properly. I like his childish smile; it reminds me to Lee Jonghyuk’s Son, Lee Junsu.

 “Should I tie your hair?” he asks.

“No,” I shake my head weakly.

“No, you’ll look good in ponytail.”

There was a man who told me that I was good when I tied my hair. I went to school with ponytail every day after he told me that I looked lovely in it. I wish I could meet him once again to prove that I don’t love him anymore. If I still in love with him, it doesn’t matter. That’s my problem, not him.

“Why you’re blushing? You like me?!” His eyes are shining like sparkling stars at me. I shake my head slowly. “Why you really interested in me? I’m so much older than you.”

“Who cares?” he asks as he back to his seat. He pulls his chair so our knees touching. “I’m 26 years old, a super handsome normal employee at a foreign company, and I like you.”

I wish I could get up and leave him, but I couldn’t. “Look, I’m 4 years older than you, and maybe I’m way richer than you, Oh Sehun-ssi. I only date older guys, ok?”

“Have a try.” That Sehun guy smiles widely at me. “You’ll like me,”

“I dated almost 10 guys every year for 10 years, and I never in relationship with one of them.” I explain. “I still wait for that person.” I mutter. I’m waiting for him… all this time and I’ve just realized. I wish I took the only one chance to stop him, but I couldn’t do that…

“That person?” He frowns. He gets up from his seat and takes my hand. “Is he’s waiting for you,, too?”

“No…”

He smiles really wide. Seems like my “I’ll pick you up tonight.” He says as he places a kiss on my hand. “We’ll have a date.”

 

Park Ahreum’s Parents’ Apartment

“Ahreum-ah, look at Chanyeol and Hyojin, they look so good together.”

I stare at my mom who stares back at me; she wants a son in law, and she has been asking me about the same thing for about 4 years. “Eomma, it’s okay if I ended up alone and live with a lot of cats. You cannot force me to do anything you want.”

“Look at you…” she sighes. “You look like Lee Youngja, but skinnier and more beautiful, you can do better Ahreum-ah.”

I check out myself. My glasses, my bun hair, my oversize tee and legging. “Eomma!” Aish! If I didn’t tell mom that I will ruin Chanyeol’s first night she wouldn’t lock me here.

“I wish I didn’t forbid you to marry in young age…” she mumbles. I feel bad but I can do nothing about it.

“Mom, there are things that more important than getting married.” I say. “Sometimes I wonder if I…”

“If you’ll ended up live alone with hundreds cats like your pathetic aunt?” She cut my words. “Honey, you should understand that spend live with someone you love is the best choice you could ever make in your life. Look at me; even though your dad is the most annoying person I’ve ever lived with, and you… you are as stubborn as I am…” She sighed. “But I love my life. I couldn’t imagine life without you and your father.”

“Mom…”

The bell rings and breaks the silence between me and mom. Mom gets up as she wipes her tears. Did I hurt her? Omg, mom, sorry…

“Omo!”

Mom screams as if she sees Wonbin or Jo Insung in front of her door. I get up from my seat, and scratched my head all the way to the front door since I was too lazy to do anything. “Is it Wonbin?”

“Annyeonghaseyo, noona.”

My whole body freeze as I hear his voice, I know someone who pronounced ‘S’ strangely.

“Annyeonghaseyo eomonim, Oh Sehun imnida.”

“Ahreum-ah, I don’t know you date younger guy.” Eomma stares at me with banjjak banjjak eyes. She likes him… she’ll kick me out tonight… “Omo! Sehun-ssi, are you dating my daughter?”

“Yes Eomonim.” He bows at my mother politely. Mom seems like she cannot hide her bling bling eyes when she sees Sehun.

“NO!” I scream. Mom frowns and pushes Sehun out of the door. I shock to see how she treats a guest, but then she kicks me out and shut the door right in front of my face. “Eomma!!”

“Go have a nice date!”

“Open the door jebal!!”

“No, Sehun-ssi, please take my daughter somewhere. Have a nice date.”

I stare at the door. “OPEN SESAME!!” I scream hopelessly.

“YAH! SIKKEURO! GO HAVE A DATE!”

I turn around and see Sehun-ssi smiles gently at me. He dresses in a very nice outfit while I look like Lee Youngja. “Are you sure about having a date with me?” I ask him. He nods while tries to not laugh at my crazy nail arts. “At least mom should give me slippers.” I sigh.

“She wants you to have boyfriend so bad.” Sehun-ssi laughs. I nod and walk towards the elevator. He follows me from behind. We have nothing to say a word since it was a bit awkward for me. He dresses really well while I looked like an ahjumma. Sigh. Worst date ever!

“Sorry about my mother.”  I mumble. I have no confidence to look at him.

“It’s okay,” he says.

We walk out of the elevator as soon as the door opens. Sehun-ssi stops me. “Wait, wear my shoes.” He says as he takes off his shoes and put his shoes in front of me. I give him a glance, but he glances back. “Why?” he asks. His face is only few centimeters apart from mine. I can feel his breath, and the smell of his perfume, and even the wine scent from his two lips. My heart race, but it feels so wrong. It’s like I betray someone else. I betray him.

“No it’s okay.” I smile. “Thank you for the offer, by the way.”

“You’ll hurt your feet if you go barefoot.”

“I have no choice.”

“You have choices, and I’ll choose one for you.”

I frown, but then he lifted my body the way Chanyeol lift Hyojin this afternoon.  Oh, yes… they call this style, bridal style. “Aish! You embarrass me!” I say as I cover my face so no one will know who I am.

“Hold on, I’ll take you to the nearest convenience store.” He grins.

It’s not that I hate how he lifts my body; I love it since it’s the first time a man lifts my body in this way. It’s just I hate how people stare at us all the way to the convenience store.  

“Here,” Sehun-ssi hands me a pair of slippers with flower patterns.

“Thank you, and sorry.”

“For what?”

“I think we’ll have the date here, with cup ramyeon and beer.” I answer. He just smiles shyly, unlike the first time we met. We agree to have date here, I treat him ramyeon while he treats me bubble tea. “Bubble tea?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Why? It’s better than make you drunk.” He says as he drinks his bubble tea in super adorable way. “Why? I thought everyone love bubble tea!”

“Araseo! I’ll drink it!”

He grins and I almost faint because of his cuteness. God, why you sent me a man like him??!!

“I really meant it when I told you I want to date you.” Sehun’s voice suddenly becomes very serious. I take a gulp of the bubble tea and don’t say a thing. “It’s not that I pity you, I’ve heard too many stories about you from Chanyeol hyung, and I’m so curious about you since then.”

“So, what do you think of me?”

“I verified all things he told me.”

“He told you that I am a pathetic single woman who still waiting for my first love that went to US a long time ago. Yes, I’m that kind of person. A pathetic single woman.” I say bitterly. However he laughs at me. He laughed beautifully… oh my god… he looks so fine.

“Yes, he told me about that, but he complimented you all the time despite your pathetic life as a single woman who never have boyfriend. Chanyeol hyung admires you because you are very reliable. He told me that you are a perfect person for an immature boy like me.”

“But I don’t date younger guy, Sehun-ssi.”

“But you are having a date with a younger guy, Ahreum-ssi.” He corrects me. “What so bad about younger guy? Is it because you will look old faster than the guy?”

I nod.

“Older women hate it when they are called old, while younger guys hate it when they are called immature. I think we’ll suit each other well.”

He winks, and it make me almost fall from my chair. “What?! Look, I have no choice but to have a date with you, I made my mom cried so I just want to make her feel better, okay?”

He nods, but still with smile formed by his two thin lips. I take a very deep breath before I ate my ramyeon. He doesn’t take his eyes off of me and it’s damn awkward and uncomfortable. I hate situation like this. “Yah! Eat your ramyeon! I’m not here to pleasure your ert eyes!” those words slipped from my lips just like how these ramyeon enter my mouth. Why I always like this?! Maybe he thinks that I look good when I’m eating ramyeon! Babo! Babo! Michyeoso! Michyeoso!

“Yah! I just watching you eating! Why you call me ert?!”

“Because…” I hesitate to say sorry since he raises his voice at me. “You make me feel uncomfortable!”

“Why we suddenly shouting at each other like this?!”

“Who knows?!”

 

“Please leave our store! You just make my customers feel uncomfortable!”

 

Sehun and I stare at each other, and then we leave the store with our cup ramyeon and bubble tea. We don’t talk to each other for a while because it’s too embarrassing for me to start the conversation again. I always like this in every blind date. Most guys that I’m a weirdo so they never call me again. Some guys are not my types so I don’t call them again. All dates went that way, so I try to not put high hope on my date with Sehun.

“Why you called me ert when all what I did was only watching you ate that ramyeon?” He asks. His voice wasn’t that scary as he was in the convenience store. Those two eyes locked my eyes to just see into the same way.

“I felt uncomfortable, sorry. That was really embarrassing I know...”

“Why you don’t tell me to not watch you eating if you felt uncomfortable?”

“That… um… I just…”

“Let’s just call it as your bad habit. I don’t want to talk about it.”

I feel bad for him because I cannot control myself even though I’m so much older. I should have behaved well, but it’s a bit hard. I don’t like it when there strangers’ eyes watch me eat my dish.

We take a walk, a very long walk with a very long conversation about him, about me, and about us. Sehun tells me about how he gave up his dream as a dancer after a serious injury that made him cannot perform great moves again. I tell him that I never have a dream to follow. All this time I keep following the path that my parents show to me, except for love matter. I’ve just known him this morning, but I tell him about the person that makes me hard to move on. We talk about so many things until we find out that we already reach another luxurious apartment.

“I think this is my first time since high school I walk this far….” I say. “I wear slippers thank God! No bruises!”

“You never walk this far?” He raises his eyebrows as if he expects me to always walk far in my everyday life. “Should I walk this far when I have a car?” I ask him. “I use slippers when I drive by the way.”

“I’m not asking.” He says as he stuck out his tongue. Adorable, too adorable…

Maybe it’s because I never date younger guy, so I feel a little bit different when I go on date with Sehun. It feels like he brings me back to the time when I was younger, when I was deeply in love with someone that I had crush on for almost three years. Sehun brings back memories of my youthful days. I’m turning thirty this year I know, but I feel so old around young man like Sehun.

“Want to come in?” He suddenly asks as he points his finger at the luxurious high rise building behind us.

I drop my jaw at the fact that Sehun lives in that luxurious apartment. I thought I was richer than him, but fact seems a bit hard to believe. “You live HERE?!” I ask him. He nodded steadily. “I don’t use all my monthly payment for few years to buy this.” He says proudly.

“JEONGMAL??”

He nods. “I live with my parents in Hannam for few years; I don’t date anyone so I don’t have to spend money on many things.” He explains in a breath. “So, want to come in?”

“Wait, you don’t have a car?” I asked him. I have no money on pocket and I hear thunder’s sounds. I’m afraid that I have to spend the night at his place.

“I have one, and I leave it at your parents’ apartment basement.” He smiles innocently and it makes me want to hit him on his head. Why we have to take a very long walk when he has a car?! I’ve just prepared my fist but suddenly rain pours heavily. Sehun grabs my hand and we run inside the apartment lobby, and straight into the elevator. I’m drenched, and it’s really cold in the elevator. Sehun pulls me towards him as if he tries to make me less cold because we are heading to the 17^th floor. 17^th FLOOR!!

My nails and it turned blue, and Sehun acts as if he has no clue on what to do in this situation. I tell him to not worry because I always like this, but all I see in his eyes are worries. I feel touched but I don’t think it’s a big deal. When we reach the 17^th floor he drags me out of the elevator, and run towards the nearest door.

I walk inside his apartment, and it’s a big mess! I mean, soju bottles, dirty clothes, and dishes are everywhere! “What the hell is this?! Don’t tell me you invited me over to do all your dishes and laundry!”

“Sikkeuro! I’m trying to get you warm clothes.” He yells from his room. I joked about clean the mess, but Sehun takes it really serious. In less than a minute he approaches me with clean clothes and towel. “Just take a bath in my bathroom, and if you don’t like the clothes, just take everything you want in the wardrobe. I’ll clean all the mess.”

“Chanyeol had his bachelorette party here, right?” I guess. I speak in a very soft voice because I’m a bit afraid of Sehun because he still talks in a serious tone.

“You figured it out.” He says coldly. I stare at him and approach him. I feel bad because I yell at him when I don’t even know what happened. “Mianhae…” I say as help him organizing the dirty dishes. He suddenly snorts and glares at me. He looks as if he is annoyed. “Mianhae…”I say helplessly.

“You can help me after change your clothes, ok?”

He talks to me as if he tries really hard to not look like he’s upset with me. I nod and I head towards his room. It’s my first time to feel a bit scared of Sehun. Well, it’s my entire fault because I thought I can do everything because Sehun is a dongsaeng. I don’t see him as man until Sehun raises his voice at me. I know I should start to see him as a man, not as a kid.

I walk outside his room, wore the tee he gave me and I wrapped my head with the towel that has his scent. My head to toe has his smell since I washed my hair with his shampoo, cleaned my body with his bodywash, removed my makeup with his facial foam, and I even brushed my teeth with his… oh God! I know it’s disgusting, but yes I brush my teeth with his brush and toothpaste. Oh God Park Ahreum, why you are so stupid?! Are you trying to seduce him?! Let’s just make sure he doesn’t think you are seducing him.

I peek outside his room and Sehun is heading towards the door with trash bag in his hands. So I tiptoeing outside his room without making him turn around. But he turns around, and completely lost when he sees me. His shampoo has a very strong scent; I wonder why I used it…   

“I’ll take care of the rest.” I said as I start to gather the dirty dishes.

“Ok then.”

I head towards the kitchen and start to clean everything since the dishwasher is already full. I think Chanyeol had a great time because Sehun’s place is just like a wrecked ship. It takes about 30 minutes to do everything. I’m good at this because I’ve lived alone for almost eight years.

After I finish everything, Sehun back from a long journey of taking out the trash. I don’t know what takes him so long, but at least I finish everything in just a half hour. Maybe this is how our date ends. It’s a farewell I think. Well, almost every date ended up like this, the man angry of what I did and told me to not meet him again.

“You must be angry because of what I said to you. I know it’s a bad habit, and I hope when we meet again, you wouldn’t act like you don’t know me.” I tell him as I prepare to leave. “Thank’s for tonight, I’m leaving.”

I try to smile at him, but he just stands at the doorway, blocks my way and stares at me with his cold stare. “Are you telling me to not meet you again?” he asks.

I shake my head slowly. “I thought that’s what you want. You know? That’s how most of all my dates ended.” I explain.

“But I don’t want to end it that way.” He smiles and approached me. His smile is like sunshine that melts snow in a warm morning of first spring. “Sorry, I was just a bit upset because you see me as a kid. Shouting and yelling as if I don’t know what to do. Yes I’m younger than you, but I want you to see me as a man, no matter how hard it is for you.”

He wants me to see him as a man, but the thought of him as a younger guy is really hard to erase. He walks towards me, scratches his head as if he’s shy of what he’s going to do. He stops his steps right in front of me, pulls me into his arms and hugs me close.

I’m surprised to know that I don’t kick him or throw my fist to his handsome face. I let him circles his two hands around my waist, let him smell his scent in me, and let myself drown in the affection he gives me. I don’t drink a single drop of leftover soju, but I’m paralyzed. I don’t move even to just to hug him back. This is too soon, I shouldn’t repeat the same mistake I did years ago, to not risk my whole life in a glance.

“S, Sehun-ssi.”

Sehun breaks our hug and throw a deep glance at me. “Can you forget him?” He asks me. “Because I’m here, and want you to be here with me. Can you just think of me?”

His voice is deep and husky, and it makes me shiver and wants to follow his order, but I just can dump all the things that happened in the past and burn all memories I have with that person with just one single flame. However I want to try to start a new story with him despite of the low percentage for me to completely forget that person.

“Look, to erase someone who I’ve kept both in my head and heart for years is not easy.” I tell him. Sehun takes one step away from me. Somehow it hurts to see him like that. “I don’t want to repeat the same mistake I did because I give my all in just a glance. We’ve just met, but I already go this far. I’m afraid, but you’ve shown me enough of you tonight. Even though it scares me enough when you talk coldly to me, I think I’ll give a try. I need you to help me to get through this, because if not I don’t think I’ll able to move on from my past.”

“Joha!”

He smiles widely and hugs me once again. It’s warm, not really tight, and comfortable to be in his arms. I like it how my body could fit his hug perfectly.

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That's a very long chapter, right? I hope you enjoy this story^^ Sorry for the grammar errors *bowbow*

Word Count: 4378.