Chapter 10

I continued onward in the direction of the community where my house was located, by foot of course. I was planning to purchase a car, preferably inexpensive and dealt with one payment, so I would give my legs a chance to rest, but my boss found it best not to gift my hardships with a raise. I haven't been promoted ever since I was employed, it was a tad pathetic. A feeling that lacked appreciation always floated around when I spoke with my coworkers but they don't know that I was the only employee who never the treatments or benefits like they have.

I was about to step on the walkway that would lead me to the front door of my dwelling until I heard footsteps trail behind me. Turning around exposed the man to my eyes, his nose and lips highlighted by the cascaded moonlight. It created an irregular pace pound my heart that couldn't cease. A small grin formed on the corner of his lips, dragging them upwards and my attention now focusing on his eyes. They gleamed with the happiness I was longing and yearning to obtain. Could he be my remaining option for hope in this remote town?

"How was your day?" His velvety voice spoke against the harsh autumn wind.

"It was fine, what about yours?"

"Horrible," his head lowered and his lower lip stuck out as he pouted. "I had to fill out papers and financial records."

The agonizing sound that Biscuit emitted brought me out of my haze, forcing me to turn around and attempt to reach my door without any prohibitions. If this was one of those romantic yet extremely corny dramas that aired on the weekends, he would've grabbed a hold on my wrist and draw me back so I could collapse into his arms, but he just followed behind like a lost puppy. I didn't give a second thought about allowing him inside my house where it could have been torn up by Lacy.

"Nice house. It's cute," he stated, closing the door softly behind him.

I unlatched the lock from the dog's cage, fully opening it so he could experience his surrounding and soon become familiar with them. Lacy heard the soft murmurs of Daehyun's foreign voice and resulted in barking at his presence. She resumed to her actions of greeting the two new visitors, sniffing at Biscuit's rear end then lowly growling at the man.

"Thanks, I'm just surprised it's still intact."

After a long day at work, I finally removed my coat and a few layers that were suppose to keep me protected from the wind but failed, hanging them on the coat rack near the door. Daehyun's eyes widened when I threw off of my clothing so I was left bare with my tank top and pants. His eyes quickly darted over my body, head to toe and back again.

"Can you stop," I said more as a command than a question.

"Well, don't strip. The dogs might get scared."

I mumbled a few incoherent and curse words, "Aiish, this man."

"May I take a seat?" He inquired. I nodded my head to the direction of the couch, myself heading off to the bathroom to wash a mixture of blood, sweat, and perfume off of my body. I tried to bathe myself as swiftly and rapidly as I could, not risking the chance of him unlocking the door to peek in like an immature boy would.

I dried the remaining drips of moisture off of my legs and wore my undergarments, elastic shorts that happened to become my beloved pair, and a baggy T-Shirt my mother bought for me in one of the markets in Busan, reading I Love Busan.

"Hungry?" I offered some ramen to him which he gladly accepted. "So, Jung Daehyun," the name sounded slick on my tongue. "What are you like?"

"Anything you want me to be," he bent his head over the back of the couch, smirking upside down to me. "What about you?"

"You could find out on your own, but I think you'll find me boring." I snickered to myself and kept the fact that I enjoyed to read endless romance novels that seemed to be my only experience with love, writing about the most irrelevant topics, and observing how the precipitation streams down on the window.

The ramen was well done for myself but for him I didn't care. He either was to consume it gratefully or have me do that for him.

"Love your shirt, I grew up there," he commented, pointing directly towards my stomach. I felt my face steam with a blush, marking my cheeks of embarrassment. Why out of all the thoughts that surge through my head, that one had to surface?

"I did when I was little, but we moved here shortly after I graduated third grade."

"Maybe we should go there one day. I know every place."

"I think I'd like that," I was suppose to conceal that with a hushed voice but he would've still heard it.

"Like our kiss?" He was the king of teasing. I was about to smack him until the Corgi who perched on his lap barked at me, he was suppose to be on my team, not with Daehyun.

"Did you do that.. on purpose?" I quickly added before shoving ramen into my mouth. "The kiss I meant."

"I don't regret it."