"I'm home."

Shouted my older brother, Soo Hyun, who just finished his work. To be honest, he rarely comes home this early, and I was actually surprised. He works as a programmer for a big company. I can't give much details about that since I don't really know much about computers or programming unlike my brother, so I guess I can't really talk about it. Soo Hyun removed his shoes and entered the living room whilst scanning the whole house. "Where's mom?" He asked, loosening his button-up shirt a bit. "She's not around." I replied as I wiped my wet hair with a towel. At that time, I just finished taking a bath. "Until when?" He sat right next to me, took a deep sigh, and placed his arm on his head to cover his eyes. He must've been tired from all the work and traveling. I stood up and headed towards the kitchen, "She said she'll be late. I don't know what time she'll return though." I answered while pouring a glass of water for my brother. I hurriedly returned to the sofa and gave it to him. "Thanks." Soo Hyun smiled slightly and took it, gulping the ice cold water. "Do you have any idea where she went?" He asked. I shook my head as a reply and flipped my hair to the side and towel-dried it.

"Where's Soo Hwan?" 

"He's sleeping upstairs."

"Already?" Soo Hyun-oppa turned his head around, trying to take a glance at the clock that was hanging high on the wall.

"Mmm... Oh yeah, oppa, how's work?" I asked out of the bat. 

"The radiation's killing me." Later on, a laugh escaped his lips. Is that supposed to be a joke? "Is it hard though?" I asked again, and the curiosity was evident in the tone of my voice. "Not really... You know what they say, when you enjoy your work, you can't really call it "work". You're having fun instead."

"So... You're having fun getting bloodshot eyes from radiation?" I tried to suppress my laughter.

"Yah! You want me to snap that neck of yours?" Soo Hyun-oppa tried to grab my arm, but I immediately ran away from the sofa with a big grin on my face. "Aish! That's cheating!" Right after he said those words, my phone that was resting on the coffee table rang. "Go on." Soo Hyun-oppa said and the television, going through every channel until he found that one channel that was showing his favorite soap opera. I guess even men like soap operas...

I answered the call. "Hello?"

"Soo Ah?" The person from the other end asked; his tranquil voice resounded in my head. "T-Taek Woon?" My eyes flickered twice. 

"Y-Yeah... It's me."

"Why did you call?" I put the towel around my neck and quietly listened to what he was about to say. "So, uh, I'm somewhere near from where you live... I think." 

"Why are you..." I wanted to ask what business he had that he ended up somewhere near here, but I couldn't put it into words. I couldn't think of the right words to say at that moment. Every time Taek Woon would call, which is frankly not often, my heart and mind would come to a stop. His voice would always make my thoughts go topsy-turvy. 

"...My sister had some sort of business to deal with here. A-Anyways, that's not the problem. Are you free tonight?"

Are you free tonight? He said.

He said those words. Those. Words.

I agreed without thinking twice.

After the call ended, I hurriedly rushed towards the door. "Oppa! I'm going somewhere." As I was about to twist the doorknob open, Soo Hyun-oppa jumped from his seat, "Yah! Where are you going in this time of night? And in those clothes!" He pointed at my grey hoodie and white shorts. I sighed. He's gonna lecture me any time now. "It's late, and it's dangerous for a girl to be walking around the streets. Who's to blame when something bad happens to you? And besides, you can just go tomorrow. Is it that important? It's the weekend anyways. Oh! And... Are you going alone?"

I bit my lip firmly. I don't want to make my brother worried, yet, it's hard to pass on an opportunity like this. "It's going to be fine. And I'm going with a friend. It won't take long, I promise, okay?" I smiled reassuringly. It took the man in front of me a few minutes to think about what I said, "...Fine. But don't take long, you promised!"

"I won't!" With that, I put on my slippers and opened the door. "Your friend... Is it a girl or a boy?" Oppa's question was answered with a shut of the door.

—

leo.

I told Soo Ah to come to a park near their house. Though I would've taken the option to pick her up from her house, it would look like something was going on between us. "Yet I would like that to happen..." I whispered under my breath without much awareness; but right after I went back to my senses, I slapped my cheek. Geez Taek Woon, don't think of such things. To top it all, isn't it kind of wrong to ask a girl to accompany me in this time of night? I scratched the back of my neck and kicked a rock from the ground. It skipped far away from where I was standing. "I really shouldn't have done it."

Now that I think of it, Soo Ah agreed nonchalantly. It was kind of odd, I mean, anyone would make up excuses if they were in her situation, but she didn't even think twice. Does she really have that much free time? Or maybe... Maybe... If there's a ten percent chance, what if she wanted to see me?

Psh. Like that would happen. I took a glimpse at my phone to know what time it is. 8:30. "Damn, I really shouldn't have. I might be bothering her and all that..." I've decided to get my phone and call her. I was about to press some buttons when I heard a voice from afar somewhat calling my name. 

I turned my head to the right and saw a figure running towards the very spot where I was. It was a girl in a grey hoodie, white shorts and a pair of slippers. Is that Soo Ah? 

"Taek Woon-ssi!" She shouted in between gasps. 

Yeah, it is her.

Soo Ah - In casual clothes. And her hair is tied up in a bun.

I stared at her as she came closer and felt my cheeks burn. Cute. When that one word came into thought, I rapidly covered half of my reddening face with the back of my hand. By the time she was standing beside me, I spoke up, trying to not make eye contact with her. "Sorry for calling you at a time like this." "N-No... It's okay." The girl right by me smiled. I put my phone in my pocket and cleared my throat, "S-So, let's go?" 

"Sure." She nodded."

—

soo ah.

White button-up shirt, black pants and leather shoes. That was what Taek Woon was wearing.

I flushed at the silence while we headed towards the busier streets of my hometown. Taek Woon told me that he needs to go to his sister first before we head to our destination, which is the hardware store. "I forgot to buy some paint yesterday. It said peach color... But I'm not too sure if we could really find something like that. We're supposed to mix up colors to get peach, right?" Taek Woon blurted out, and I wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. How shameless of me. I ended up nodding in the end.

He called out as soon as he saw someone he was probably close to, "Noona!" The lady turned around. She had black, straight, elbow-length hair. She looked really beautiful with her face emphasized with make-up, blue long sleeves and fitted mini-skirt. There's no doubt that she wouldn't look like a business woman.

Huh, I didn't even know Taek Woon has a sister.

"Taek Woonnie! Where'd you go!? I was worried about you."

"...I told you I was going somewhere."

I flinched when her eyes landed on me, "What matters is, who is this girl hiding behind you?" She then gasped and pointed a finger at me, "Is she your girlfriend?" I was about to answer her question, but Taek Woon was one step ahead of me. "N-N-No! She's a f-friend of mine..." He bit his lips firmly and his ears turned red. Was he embarrassed? I felt my ears burn up too.

"Oh~ Is that so~" She smiled widely and leaned towards me, "Omo! You're cute." She reached out to my cheeks and pinched them. It hurt a little and I ended up closing both eyes. My whole face was being squished. "Ah, I wish I was as young as you are again."

"N-Noona. Don't you think that's enough?" Taek Woon grabbed his sister's shoulder with his eyebrows furrowed. "Okay, okay, my protective little brother. I won't lay another hand on your girl, I got it." She finally released me and sighed. I rubbed my cheeks; It has been a while since someone pinched them that hard. "Anyways, what's your name?" Her lipstick-covered lips formed a crescent shape, "Soo Ah..." I answered, "Jung Soo Ah." Right after I introduced myself, she blinked twice with a somewhat surprised expression. Taek Woon's sister then neared him and kind of whispered something. After a few seconds, Taek Woon went red again and averted his eyes from her. His sister then let out a giggle. "For now, I won't bother you guys, so you can't go wherever you're going to." She put her hands on her waist and smiled triumphantly as if she achieved something. "But don't take long!" 

"Mmm!" We both nodded enthusiastically, and in sync.

—

"She's really pretty." I said with a smile on my face. "I guess." Taek Woon answered back. We were heading towards the nearest hardware store we could find. Taek Woon said that he had three older sisters. The eldest is married, the middle was the one we met earlier and she already had a job, while the youngest is in college. He said that she had some business to deal with here, and she wanted Taek Woon to accompany her. Taek Woon took this opportunity to go buy the stuff he didn't get to purchase yesterday, but since he wasn't quite familiar with the place, he wanted me to help him. "And since Jae Hwan isn't with us, things could go quite smoothly." He also added. "Anyways, how did you know that I live here?" I wondered.

He gulped, "W-Well, you know that day when we had a party because the soccer team won..."

My eyes widened. I clearly remember it now. I was trying so hard to forget about that time because it was too much for me to handle, yet, in the end, I had to remember it again. Why did I even ask about an awkward question? I changed the topic, "O-Oh yeah." I faced Taek Woon, "What did your sister say to you?" Taek Woon asked, "Come again?" "The one she whispered." I said. He blushed for the umpeeth time and muttered something under his breath, something that I could not decipher. "S-She asked if we're married."

"Because we had the same surnames." That was the only sentence that I clearly heard. I would like to ask one more time, but I took a hint that Taek Woon was uncomfortable with the question, so I didn't speak up again. We entered the store and bowed our heads to the shop owner. We asked where the paints were, and he pointed at an aisle at the very back. We went to that aisle. My eyes were glancing over each can of paint there is. "Found it." Taek Woon beamed. He crouched to a row of cans and studied them thoroughly. 

I kneeled beside him, and something entered my mind at that moment. "You know... You should've come to my house. I made you wait... I'm sorry." And besides, he already went to my house so it's really not that big of a deal. "My family wouldn't mind." Taek Woon abruptly turned his head and faced me. I jumped at his sudden action. "I'm the one who made you walk all alone at nighttime. I'm th one who should be sorry." I could feel his eyes piercing very deeply into mine. I also couldn't keep my eyes off of him. His orbs were like magnets - Something that would you in no matter how hard you resist. However, what made him gaze at me all of the sudden? Is something wrong? Is there something stuck in my face? I asked that question, "Is... Is there something stuck in my face?" I looked around, trying to find a mirror. "It's not that." He spoke out and stared at the can again. Taek Woon finally decided and took the can of paint.

"It's just, if I did come to your house, wouldn't it be too early to meet your parents?"

I faced him with a puzzled look plastered on me. But my parents weren't home - 

...Oh.

He stood up with the can on his hand. I was still crouching there. Dumbfounded. "Soo Ah." Once he called my name, I looked at him with a blank expression on my face. "Stand up. Let's go." I obediently did what he said and we went to the counter to pay for the paint we needed for the cultural festival. 

I noticed that the path we took was heading towards my house. So... I guess I'm going home now. The road to my house was silent, but my head was in an uproar. "Thanks for today." I looked at Taek Woon from the side. He had a smile on his face, "I had fun, even though we only bought paint." His statement made me laugh a little. I lifted my chin up and stared at the sky, "Huh." I mumbled. Taek Woon noticed what I was doing and did the same, "Woah..." He exclaimed, "It's rare to see this sight in the city because of all the pollution and whatnot." "I know." I answered back as we both gazed at the stars shining and twinkling above us. "It's as if you're looking at the city on a high place. You could see all the lights that are like stars." I informed. "Speaking of which, I know a place like that somewhere here! Once you've seen it, you couldn't help but drop your jaw in awe. The view is really beautiful."

"Hmm..." The ends of Taek Woon's lips raised gently. "You could take me there sometime, but not now. It's late and your parents should be worrying about you. So next time, okay?"

I ended up nodding. He stopped walking for a while and held out his pinky finger. "Promise?" Our fingers entangled as we made a promise, and at that time, my heart raced so fast I couldn't keep up to it. "...Promise." 

After fifteen minutes of walking, we finally reached our house. "Go on in." Taek Woon stood there in front of the gate, waiting for me to enter the house. "Be... Be safe, okay?" I gulped right after I said those words. It took some courage to tell it to him to be honest. He smiled with his teeth showing, and I could feel my heart jump up again, "Thanks for tonight. I had fun." He turned around, and before he could completely leave, I said the same thing. It was as if I didn't want to let him go yet. "I-I had fun too!" Taek Woon didn't also immediately return to his sister. He waited for me to enter the house, which took quite a long while. We kept on waiting for each other to leave, and it looked pretty silly.

So, I guess I'll be seeing Taek Woon quite often now. And at nighttime, too. Though we might have to meet at the park because he said that "it was too early to meet my parents". I giggled at the thought, and a sigh followed.

I wanted tonight to last forever.