January 2013

“Mother?” Yifan greeted after slided the green rectangular on his phone’s screen. His eyes were still glued on the monitor, but his fingers stop typing. “I’m still finishing a report so could you please wait a little longer?”

“I have an appointment in thirty minutes and I’m already on the way there, Son. Sorry for not telling you sooner” he heard his mother’s soft voice. “Don’t worry. I’ve sent you someone to accompany you having lunch”

“That’s okay, Mother. Don’t worry”

“No, you must have lunch. See you at dinner”

Yifan groaned and losen his tie once his mother cut the line. He looked at the report he was doing and sighed. There was no way he could break his promise to eat regularly to his mother. He knew somehow his mother would know if he ran away then it would make her upset. And that was the biggest no in his life.

…

Kim Junhee looked at her wirst-watch for the nth time. She had been waiting for almost fourty minutes and no one came. Her mom just texted her to wait patiently for another ten minutes. She looked at her files and sighed. She had an appointment with her editor team in two hours, yet now she was sitting in a café doing nothing. She took out a novel from her bag and began to read.

The café was nice. It was located on the corner of street in Myeong-dong. There were about ten tables that could be seated by four people each. There were low divider of each table, the wall were covered with high bookshelf with diverse genres. She sniffed the delicious smell of coffee and freshly-baked breads in the air then smiled. How come she never knew this nice café before this?

She just flipped to page twenty three when a low voice interrupted. “Table number eight. Miss Kim Junhee, am I right?”

…

Yifan took a deep breath and got out of his car. He buttoned his suit and read the message his mother sent five minutes ago.

Table number eight.

Miss Kim Junhee. Waist-length, honey brown wavy hair. White blouse.

That was it. His lunch partner. Once more he looked at his reflection on the café’s window, made sure he was presentable enough. He just didn’t expected his mother to sent a girl to accompany him having lunch. He thought his mother would sent Park Chanyeol, his long-related-cousin or one of his nieces who were visiting them in Seoul.

He wondered what his mother was thinking when sending this girl. His mother knew very well that he didn’t do romance. He was not interested to be in any kind of relationship with woman, well, at least until that very moment. He even thought his nieces were quite annoying, pestering him wherever he went and whinning to get his attention. “Women, except my beautiful beloved mother, are troublesome” he said one day when Chanyeol asked why.

He didn’t really know how, but he felt that he was quite familiar with that girl’s name. He tried to remember if he ever met this girl before but got nothing. But then, he just shrugged it off when he remembered how many girls who had Kim Junhee as their name in Seoul.

He opened the door, not missing the sound of the bell on the door made. He spread his gazes to every corner of this café. He smelled the aroma of coffee and the delicious smell of the breads that just came out from the oven, make his stomach grumbled.

He found table number eight and a girl whose hair tied into a ponytail was reading. The girl was sitting cross in the corner of an L-shaped wooden chair, her legs crossed and her bangs fell over her forehead. Yifan’s breath hitched. That girl’s sitting position, exposure to sunlight from the window next to their table.. Gosh, the perfect combination to form a sense of intriguing mystery.

He was curious.

What kind of girl did her mother send to accompany him having lunch?

…

Kim Junhee looked up and the time stopped. There stood a tall, muscular, well-groomed, handsome and hot as hell young man. Junhee bet this man was more than 1.8 meters. His well-tailored fitted suit showed lean and healthy body. His hair was ash brown, neatly cut and clean.

“Well.. Miss Kim Junhee?” the young man voiced.

“Oh yes, I am,” she said as her senses came back. “and you’re….”

“Can I sit?”

“Yes, please. I’m sorry to keep you standing”

That young man sat down after ed his suit. He sat straight and she saw him inhaling deeply. “My name is Wu Yifan,” he spoke and her breath hitched again. “I’m really sorry for what my mother had done. Well, I didn’t know she would sent you to have lunch with me”

She looked at Wu Yifan. He was Chinese, young and attractive –very attractive if she might add. His voice was deep, heavy with charisma and hint of coldness. His gaze was intense and she found him intimidating. The wind blew, caressed her cheeks and –Oh my, he smelt nice. Pines, dew, mint, the smell after rain… refreshing and calming, taking over the nice aroma of her coffee on their table.

“Miss Kim.. please take a breath. Can you hear me?” a hand shaked in front of her eyes and she obeyed. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“I’m sorry, it’s just I can be really easily distracted” she said timidly. A deep shade of pink coursed down her cheeks. “Actually I was really busy until my mother told me to stop by this café for lunch and she said she would come”

“My mother said the same thing” Yifan responded. They called a waiter and ordered their lunch. The conversation flew naturally. As it was their first meeting, it was mostly about themselves. Kim Junhee laughed and Wu Yifan chuckled. They chatted and chatted until Yifan’s cellphone rang.

“Hello? Oh, is it?” he looked at his watch. “Okay, I will be there in fifteen minutes”

“Work?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I have to go”

“Well, I have to meet my editor. Guess I got to go too” Junhee got up and took her jacket which was placed beneath her bag.

“Would you like me to take you there?”

“It’s alright. I have my car”

Both of them got up and walked out the café after put some money on the table. “It’s a pleasure knowing you, Miss Kim Junhee”

“And you are a nice companion to have lunch, Mr. Wu” she opened the door of her cat and got in. “I hope to see you around real soon”

“Drive carefully” Yifan said then smiled. “See you real soon”

Kim Junhee giggled and strated her engine. The window rolled up and she waved her hand.