By the time Jongin gets outside, Soojung’s nowhere to be seen because he hesitated for too long. Cursing at himself, he glances around one last time before dragging himself back in with his head down. He moved too quickly but he couldn’t control himself. Most times girls would just let him but this time, he liked the fact that she didn’t. But he messed up, he didn’t mean to scare her like that. Those were not his intentions at all. He just wants to know her. He wants to know her favorite color, her fears, her aspirations, dreams and the way she likes her steak cooked—that’s if she likes steak of course.

To him, she’s different.

Soojung waits another thirty seconds before making a move. With her bag over her shoulder, she throws one last glance at Jongin’s backside then walks off towards the sunset. What was she thinking, letting her guard down so low. His beautiful eyes haunt her and she wants to turn back, run into his arms and press her lips against his but of course she doesn’t. She can’t. She won’t just be another one of his girls.

***

Friday comes along and Soojung’s heading back at the café with a new novel in hand. Her eyes are glued to the ground until another pair of feet stop her. Glancing up at the owner, Soojung’s slightly taken back to see Jongin waiting for her but she’s not completely surprised. Still, she’s not prepared either.

He looks nervous and bothered with his toes digging into the ground and hands stuffed hastily in the pockets of his leather jacket. He’s suddenly alert when she spots him and when he opens his lips to speak, Soojung finds herself slightly backing away.

“Wait,” he says, reaching out as if he could physically stop her. “I-I just want to apologize.” Soojung freezes and her eyes lock with his. “I didn’t intend to scare you,” he continues quickly. “I was too caught up in the moment and I assure you, Soojung, I was not intending to scare you or make you uncomfortable in any way.”

The hue in his eyes glow as the sun comes out from behind the trees and turn the brown into glowing embers. The way the sun’s rays bounce off his skin makes him look like he’s glowing and at that moment, everything else becomes irrelevant to her. For sure, Jongin will always remind Soojung of autumn.

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes softly and the look on his face is enough to break her.

There is no sense in how he’s able to make her feel this way so soon after meeting. Either the world is against them or completely towards them, there is no in between. It’s a foolish thought to begin with but how else can you try to explain such a situation.

“It’s okay,” she says in return. “I overacted.”

“—No,” he shakes his head gently. “I sincerely apologize and making you feel uncomfortable in any way just breaks me. I-I,” he hesitates as he shuffles around nervously. “I just want to get to know you.”

Her chest becomes hot and her heart skips at such irregular beats that it could possibly kill her. The leaves between them rattle as they scrape across the cold cement sidewalk between them.

Soojung blinks and at that moment she decides to abandon her beliefs once again. “Then,” she begins slowly. “How about joining me today?”

His eyes soften and a smile grows on his lips. “I’d love to.”

He finally finds out her favorite color—red—and that she’s allergic to apples. Thankfully she loves steak and she likes them medium rare, just the way he likes them as well. Time flies when he’s with her and he’s surprised at how they can go on for so long without getting bored. He likes the way she hides her eye crinkling laughter behind her beautifully sculpted hands. Every once in awhile she throws her head back when she’s very amused. Sometimes their eyes linger longer than usual, and sometimes they’re just smiling at each other.

Still, Jongin is unable to read her, just like how Soojung is unable to read him.

Once again under the dark obsidian night, Jongin is walking Soojung back to her dorm room. Without knowing, Soojung rubs her arms out of habit as a cool breeze passes through the and in the next second, Jongin is already draping his jacket over her shoulder which makes her tense up slightly. His scent suddenly transfers onto her, seeping into her hair, her clothes and her nose.

“Thanks,” she says shyly and he grins in response.

There is only silence as they walk together but it’s a beautiful silence. He wants to reach out and grab her hand because the thought of how perfect they fitted keeps haunting him but he’s afraid of scaring her away again so he fights the urge.

“Here,” Soojung holds his jacket out to him as they arrive at the entrance of her dormitory. “Thanks for the jacket and for walking me home. Also, remember, you’re forgiven.”

Jongin nods with a chuckle. “Yeah, no problem. I can walk you home every night if you want,” he says and she almost takes him up on the offer. Almost. “Anyways,” he pauses and the nerves return. Once again he’s digging his toes into the cement with his hands jammed in his pockets. “I’d really like to take you out, like…for dinner or a movie,” he says nervously. “That’s if… you’d let me of course.”

She finds herself smiling at the thought of dinner or a movie. These assumptions that she’s had of him just clash with the Jongin she knows and sees right in front of her, she doesn’t know which to believe.

“Um, yeah,” Soojung replies after a quick thought. “Sounds good.”

A big childish grin takes over Jongin’s expression at once. “Really? Okay,” he then suddenly becomes flustered. “Okay, um, then can I get your number?”

Soojung chuckles at his cuteness and takes out a pen from her bag. Taking his hand, she proceeds to scribble her number onto his palm while he watches on childishly.  

“Call me when you think of me,” she teases and he snickers. “Goodnight Jongin.”

“I’m not going to say goodnight just yet,” he says as he backs away from her. “Because,” cue in dramatic pause, “I’m going to call you,” he points at her. “I’ll wish you a good one then.”

Throwing her hand over , Soojung laughs and waves goodbye to Jongin before entering the building.

***

Sitting outside on the steps to her residence hall, Soojung carries a blank expression as she contemplates on her current decisions. Any second now, Jongin will appear to take her to the movies. She can still run away or make some lame excuse to not go but there really isn’t a strong enough reason not to go besides her insecurities for him. When he’s around, everything seems to fit into place but when he’s not, thoughts of how she’ll only end up broken and damaged try to taint her b