That night, four people were sitting nonchalantly at the same table. Under the huge brown parasol, they had seemed like long time friends who just came across each other on the street and made it as the chance to catch up on each other's life's update. Except they were not friends, and there was not any catch-up happening at all.

Between remembering what happened at the hospital with Jongin and the silent, mutual agreement that she and Hayoung barely knew Baekhyun, Huisoo did not know what was better to be thinking about then; a) disappearing from the scene or b) swallowing her pride and starting an authentic conversations with everyone. Meal and constant insecurity really did not go well. She just suddenly got the urge to blow this awkward air. Why, they were grown-ups and it had never been too late to start a new friendship with strangers. That was what she kept telling herself.

So despite her discomfort  shame toward the misunderstanding between Jongin and her that had happened a while before, while everyone else was trying to make themselves look busy with the menu book, she attempted some basic questions about the traffic and the weather. YES, she knew she , but nobody would expect a question on psychological therapy or on their current favourite emoji to use during texting.

One question led to another from Baekhyun, and she and Hayoung took turns to answer.

             “How long have you known each other?” Baekhyun asked with a genuine light of curiosity in his eyes. It was his third question, and she and Hayong really appreciate how thoughtful he had been despite this whole situation.

            “We always went to the same school since pre-school to high school,” Hayoung answered almost immediately as if she had heard it so often to the point that her answer sounded like a well-rehearsed one.

             “Really? Did you always let each other informed which school to go?” Baekhyun said again.

             “Strangely, no,” Huisoo argued, “It felt like a destiny. Which is kinda funny. We were even seatmates from primary to high school.” Huisoo sounded weary, as if she, too, had told the same remarks over and over.

The conversation went on. Baekhyun was in fact, a bright person. It was not easy to make Hayoung adapt quickly to something new, but he did. She could hear her evident relief at having found a topic she was comfortable with. Oh, how she wished Jongin would be that easy to be around. She just learned that he was not the sort of man who appreciated small talk. Even Hayoung had gotten more comfortable of Baekhyun whom as a matter of fact, she just met tonight, than of Jongin whom she had met a couple times before.

How was it possible he had not said anything after all the stories? And how did he manage to just sit there very casually, cutting his Sirloin into edible size when the friendly interactions were happening at the same table he was occupying?

She had known all along that he had never been a talker. Neither had his whole family. It was in their blood to be reserved. But experiencing it first-hand was quite unsettling. It had been an hour and he was so held-in, so restrained. He made the three of them look like Amy Winehouse.

Well, to be fair, at least he smiled and laughed a sufficient amount of laughter throughout all the stories shared over the table.

             “I took law, I end up lecturing.” Hayoung who was getting more comfortable with the talk, laughed properly.

             “Hayoung-ssi was a law student?” Baekhyun paused, “So was Jongin.” He added, earning a nod from the one who got mentioned.

           “I took my post-graduate in Japan, Liberal Arts. Now, I've no idea what to do with those principles.” Jongin surprisingly took role in the conversation and only shifted a gaze shortly at Hayoung and Baekhyun before going back to stare at his food.

Huisoo looked at him in awe, not sure if it was because of his story, but she took note that, it was not a bad idea to be getting to know that he did not fancy the idea of pursuing a career path deviant from his initial plan. But what kind of man deliberately pursued Law when he had known damn well that he would eventually take over his father well-established business? Oh, the curiosity could kill, but her phone rang and she was excused to take it.

              “I’m sorry, we should get going. I've got a call for a surgery briefing.” Huisoo returned to the table with an apologetic look. She knew it was not an ideal time for a surgery briefing and it was not that she was the doctor on duty tonight. Things were just not negotiable when one worked in this field.

All heads turned to her. Her head dug low as she was packing her belongings into her handbag, fully aware of all the attentions she had earned. What took her by surprise a few seconds after was the moment she lifted her gaze, Jongin repeated her gesture, and unlike a few times where he had avoided exchanging eye contact with her, his eyes stayed, holding her gaze.

             “What if Jongin takes you there? I'll drive your car home, just give me the address.” Baekhyun, wiggling his eyebrows, came up with the idea in the middle of the staring competition, “I mean it's quite late and you've had a few glasses of wine before we came, so...”

It was true. She and Hayoung had taken the liberty to empty a bottle of wine in the midst of waiting for their steak to be served. Baekhyun's suggestion was not that terrible, but when Jongin pulled his gaze from her to stare at his friend as if he had just said something riddiculuos, she retrieved from the thought.

She got the message.

             “No, I'll b..., I'll be on my own.” She hesitated but knew she needed to sound convincing so Baekhyun would let her off.

             “How? You don't drunk-drive, Ms. Doctor. Jongin can drive you, he's a swift driver, you'll get there in no time.” Baekhyun said, “Right, Jongin-ah?”

Jongin cleared his throat, still looking at nobody.

            “No, it’s perfectly fine, I was thinking of hailing a taxi,” Huisoo trailed her gaze to him, and nodded her head while saying, “You might want to head home and rest.”

Cold shiver ran down her spine as she noticed that Jongin was raising his eyes languidly from the ground. Baekhyun noticed this, and both Hayoung and him shared a look.

            “Is that so, Jongin-ah?” He gave a playful look that Jongin really hated to see.

Jongin was aware of what Baekhyun was trying to pull. He knew that the little man was challenging him and that he should not give him what he wanted at the moment. It was a mental victory for Baekhyun if he swallowed the baits. Therefore, he should just call it a day and go back not to care again.

Except, he did not want to call it a day.

It was immature of his friend to be trying to put him and Huisoo into an uncomfortable spot like that, but he thought it was even more unreasonable to avoid the offer. For whose good?

           “I actually don't mind.” He interjected, nonchalant.

In the slow drive to the hospital, neither Jongin nor Huisoo had had the guts to speak about anything since they took off. Not because it was unpleasant to be together, but if there was anything Huisoo picked up from tonight's unexpected rendezvouz: it was to contain herself when around him. She did not want to give away the impression that she was a loud person. Whereas, in Jongin's defense, he believed it was normal to repose especially when you had nothing significant to discuss, was there?

It was true that this was not their first time being in the same ride, but the only rare occasions when they two drove together was with his mother, a situation where he did not have to bother with finding something to be talking about other than work and family. In fact, he too had contemplated to turn the radio on, but he thought her job had probably taken every happy nerves out of her system that she lacked the emotional capacity to enjoy music at the moment. Therefore, he just drove, quietly. Because although it was quiet, the awkwardness had not lingered for too long, unlike many times when they were together.

Besides, Huisoo was busy talking on the phone to somebody whom he guessed was some senior at the hospital, judging from the way she addressed that person. Once she terminated the line, he caught her sighing silently—which was not really unheard of. Was this a cue to ask about, who knew, anything?

          “Jongin-ssi.”

He was not expecting that and it made him tense up. So now she would have this effect on me too, he thought.

He glanced quickly at her, a signal for her to continue speaking. He was glad he did not have to be the first one to break the silence. He did not have to feel good about that, but he kind of did.

         “I’m, I'm very sorry for all the inconvenience today.” Finally, she managed to say those words properly. She had been thinking about that during the dinner after figuring out the uneasy feeling that bothered her.

For two people with prospective wedding ahead of them, tension would do no good to their already-fragile relationship. Her lying to her parents about the car was the start where things went wrong from that. Perhaps she was not one to blame that her parents had reacted so impulsively to call Jongin and asked for his help when clearly, it was too much to ask even for two people who were marrying each other for love. She was a completely grown woman, having 'said' trouble with her car in a very safe surroundings which was her workplace. A university hospital at that.

          “Honestly, what could go wrong in a place where we have security staff posted in every corner of the floor?” Huisoo resumed her explanation, almost out of breath, “It just didn't occur to me that my parents were gonna be that worried, called you for help, I'm very sorry.”

           “Cool.” He said with a deep nod, eyes on the road. To be very honest, he had been bothered by that too. He was aware that it was pathetic to have