“Rejection is painful, isn't it?”

Taeyeon unnie and I take bits of our leisure time off to Hongdae. Not only have we not met each other for weeks, but also haven’t been shopping in like, ages. It’s truly a big pleasure to be able to go out and get some fresh air, though having people to stare at us as if we’re pair of criminals is somewhat displeasing.

We settle in a western restaurant across the street once our shopping spree has ended. The latter has been complaining to me about her growling stomach—and so do I, to be completely honest—and thus we drop by the restaurant.

While waiting for our food to be served, we spare some time chatting to each other. And of course, I’d know amidst all the stuff we are talking about, she would want to ask that sneaky little question.

“So…” she starts, her finger aimlessly fiddling at the tip of the straw. “Have you started contacting that person?”

“Who is that person?” I reply, feigning a dumbfounded expression.

She lets out a snort, and the way she puckers her lips makes me want to burst out laughing so hard. She looks so adorable, seriously!

“I know you knew what I’m trying to imply, Yoona,” she says in a grumpy tone. “So… tell me about the progression, Yoona. Have you started contacting him or… has the phone number I gave you the other day been safely thrown in the bin?”

“Can we not talk about this?”

“Why?” A frown sweeps across her face. “We should be talking about this! Now tell me everything from the start!”

“Fine,” I sigh inwardly. “What do you want to know?”

“First, have you started contacting him?”

“I have,” I say in an instant, earning a fan girl-like squeal from the older woman within a mere moment. “You surely are excited, unnie.”

“I am totally excited!” she replies in utmost tone of happiness. “So what happened next?”

“Uhm, we just text to each other from time to time,” I add, biting my lip. “And yeah… I think that sums everything up.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s it.” I nod briskly. “You know what, unnie? I never thought he’d be a guy with perfect sense of humor. He literally cheers me up whenever I’m tired or moody.”

“I know, right?” Dinner has finally been served, and Taeyeon unnie and I immediately tuck in the feast.

“I was wondering,” I say as I shove a mouthful of spaghetti Bolognese into my mouth and give her a keen look.

She rolls her eyes. “About what?”

“Why are you so serious about all this, unnie? I mean, about pairing me with that person,” I let out what I have been longing to ask her, but never got a chance to do so. I think tonight’s the perfect time since we’re already into this subject. “You got nothing in return, did you?”

“That’s true,” she answers, nodding at once. “Frankly speaking, it wasn’t me who intended to pair you with him in the first place.”

“Then, who was it?”

“Him,” she says, “that guy. He wanted to get to know you. He’s interested in you. Your aura draws him in.”

“Aura, my foot.” I let out chuckle. As if I’m an angel descended from heaven to have such an aura, which is able to appeal guys.

“It’s true, Yoona,” she affirms. “He likes you. He wanted to get to know you.”

“I get that part saying he wanted to get to know me, but why did we only need to reach each other through text messages? If he wanted to get to know me so badly, we could’ve just met face-to-face, seriously.”

“He’s shy.” She’s avoiding my gaze. “You may run when you find out about his identity.”

It’s funny, to be honest. It sounds as though he’s a serial killer or something. “Tell me the truth, unnie. He’s a celebrity, isn’t he?”

The moment the question was about to escape my lips, I had already figured out what her response would be. She’s certainly going to run away or just beat around the bush.

“Since you’re not answering my question, I’ll take it as a yes.” I cross my arms over my chest, a disgruntled look on my face. I have lost my appetite on the spur of the moment. Taeyeon unnie being secretive is just like she’ stabbing me in the back.

“Yoona, I have no right to tell you who he is.” She puts her meal aside and reach for my hand. She grips mine tightly, as if giving me a chance to stay patient. “Sooner or later, you’ll eventually know who that person is.”

I sigh audibly. “Does it really matter if I knew his identity, unnie?”

“I guess so.” Taeyeon unnie nods. “If it hadn’t been much of a big problem, he would have nothing to hide.”

 I fall silent, weighing up some thought on my mind.

My cell phone suddenly rings, and I glance at the screen for the caller ID.

“Who’s calling you?” she drops me a question once I’ve hung up.

I look up and briefly note, “My manager oppa. He’s asking me when I’ll be home.”

“Oh, I see.”

We finish our dinner without any further interruption. Taeyeon unnie’s like in her own world; devouring the scrumptious spaghetti meatball to bits and I, on the other, am finishing my food as well, but there’s something holding me back.

Speaking of Heechul oppa’s phone call just now, I recall a scene where I was busted having a phone call with Jongdae.

“Who was calling you just now, Im Yoona?”

Crap, what am I going to say? For God’s sake, I can’t simply say I was talking with Jongdae on the line. He’s going to throw me an absolute fit and I’m so dead!

“It…. it… was from…”

“From?” he repeats the moment I’m stuttering. His stare has become quite deeper than it was before. “Was it from Hyunsik?”

“Oh my God, how’d you figure it out, oppa?” I clap my hands together, feeling a rush of adrenaline seeping through my body. He didn’t know who I was talking to and that’s a relief!

“Well…” He scratches the back of his head. “You looked so happy, so I thought it was from him.”

“That’s true. It was from my younger brother, Hyunsik.” I finally have this sort of flaming confidence building inside me. “He’s asking me to cheer for him since, uhm, he’s going to sit for the final exam tomorrow.”

“Oh, he’s in his final year of university, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is, oppa.” I nod matter-of-factly.

I snap back to the reality once Taeyeon unnie slightly hits the table with her hand. “Yoona, I have to go running to the washroom for a sec,” she says and rises from the seat. “We’ll leave afterwards so finish your dinner at once.”

“Oh, okay, unnie,” I answer with a nod.  “I’m almost finished.”

He is leaning against the driver’s seat when I hop in the car right after the phone call has come to an end. The unreadable expression on his face shows me that something big is bothering him. I decide not to mention about Miyoung’s invitation since I’ve kind of expected what his response would be.

“Is it true that you don’t have anyone else but me?”

“Only you.” My reaction is hasty, though I’m taken aback by his unforeseen question. “Only you and will be always you, Minjae.”

“Then…” Minjae raises his chin, looking upward, as though he’s thinking of something. “Who was the person that called you just now?”

I let out a gasp of surprise, my breath gets hitched. I’m too flabbergasted to even say a word. Never once have I thought the thing that’s bothering him is about that.

“It was Miyoung,” I say, trying to be open as possible. Right now, there shouldn’t be any secrets between us since we’re dating. “She and my other colleagues asked me to join them for bowling. But you know, I said no because we’re together now.”

Simply to convince the fact I’m not lying, I tuck my cell phone out of my handbag. “Look,” I say, showing him the ‘received calls’ for his view.

I let him take mine from my grip. I have no idea what he’s searching for because I think I’ve already cleared up the suspicion he had just now.

“Who is he?” questions Minjae as he clicks a particular name on the contact list.

Flustered, my head jerks up in surprise. God, I should have re-edited that name if I had known he would be having spot-check today!

“Why… would you want to know, huh?” My lips twi