Junhee looked at Yifan carefully, trying to calm her wild heartbeat. Her left foot did tap dance secretly.  “Pardon?”

“I’m sure you heard it, Yifan-ssi” Her tone turned so serious. “Let’s get married” she repeated.

Junhee suddenly wanted the ground to open and swallow her alive. The man in front of her was famous for being so difficult and rigid when it came to his personal life. “Few days ago, you-“

“I know,” she cut him. “I thought about it, I considered what things will probably happen, and honestly, I don’t think those are that bad if we can cooperate”

The man was only looking at her with his sharp eyes, seeking sincerity in her eyes. Junhee didn’t want to know her face looked like right now. She never been stared by a man  that intensely. She wondered if any of her word had hurt his pride. Junhee wanted to disappear when Yifan put his chopsticks down.

“Well,” Yifan said calmly. “I don’t know what to say” he admitted. He straightened his back and his expression became cold and stern. “You know that one shouldn’t play with marriage, am I right?”

Junhee gulped, internally agreed with the Chinese young man. She nodded, feeling embrassed all of sudden. This man is being all intimidating again, she said in her heart. She looked up and regretted it the second she met his sharp eyes.  “I,” she whispered. “I don’t mean it in that way”

“Which way, then?” She didn’t know if choosing L-shaped sofa as their seat was right because she could feel that Yifan had moved beside here then scooted slowly.  His deep and husky voice wasn’t a great help either. Gosh, where did the clumsy Wu Chinese she saw ealier vanish?

She couldn’t find the answer, even her voice. She sat there  with her head hang low in shame and her hand played with the hem of his peach shirt. Half of her heart commanded her to just simply told him that she couldn’t get married yet, but another half said different thing. And she couldn’t figure it out.

“Actually, I was a little bit upset when you ran away from the dinner a couple of days ago. Is it because of our huge ?” her breath started to seem heavy. “I hoped you wouldn’t mind to listen to our explanation, but things sometimes doesn’t work the way we expected it to”

Junhee stayed silent, completely forgot her goal inviting him lunch. “I’m sorry”

This man was really something. She came here with full of confidence then coolly offered an agreement, but since when this counter-attack worked? She didn’t understand.

“Well, time’s up” he said in normal tone. “Let’s think about it again in cooler condition with clearer mind, Miss Kim Junhee” he stood up and tidied his suit. “I’ll be going first. Drive savely”

…

Baekhee stared at now-stressed Junhee and patted her head twice. Junhee and she sat under a big tree at the park near the cafe where Junhee and Yifan met an hour ago. Junhee called her saying she messed everything up, so she came.

“Junnie,” she called her who had her head on her crossed arms on her bent legs. “I thought he just needs time to think”

“He might think that I want to play a marriage game or something. I don’t mean it in that way” she said in tiny voice.

Baekhee stayed silent and thought. She knew Junhee didn’t mean that way. Junhee always wanted to be a one-in-lifetime wife. She wanted a marriage that happened because she and her man loved each other. The part that could possibly cause a misunderstanding was she wanted that love happened naturally, without other people’s confrontation. She always wanted someone to be beside her, to share her stories with and to walk together hand-in-hand.

Baekhee could her a soft sobbing sound from Junhee. “Don’t worry”

“I haven’t even got master title, I think the title of scholar is not enough. Then I want to pass the CPA test, Baekkie. I want to be a fine public accountant. Marriage isn’t on my top priority right now” she told her. Junhee has graduated from accounting major a few moths ago. She took English lit class in her third term as she liked to write.

Baekhee couldn’t say anything. Junhee was a good planner, everyone knew that. She continued thinking until Junhee’s cell phone rang. Junhee stayed still, not bothered to answer the call. “Junhee, your phone” she told her.

Junhee sat straight, her hand wiped her tears-stained cheeks. She let out an awkward cough and answered the call . “Yes, Mom?”. Junhee blinked her eyes a few times, trying to clear her blurred vision. “Okay, I’ll be going”

“Going home now?” Baekhee asked when Junhee stood. She hugged her as Junhee remained silent. “Don’t worry, let’s think another way to discuss it with him, hm? I’ll help you”

Junhee buried her head on Baekhee’s crook, trying to seek comfortable body heat. “Thanks”

…

Yifan’s thumb stopped after scrolling through his phone’s contact list. It was floating on a monitor showing Junhee’s number. He felt uncomfortable about earlier lunch. Yifan was a little bit upset about the girl’s offer, but still, he shouldn’t had said anything like that. It might be that she hadn’t found it comfortable for her to be with him, a much older stranger she met a few days before he asked her to marry him.

He sighed and finally gave up. He pocketed his phone and got out of his car. He walked to the front door, took a deep breath and rang the bell.

He was nervous.

No answer.

He rang the bell, again. He heard a “Yes! Coming” from inside. He was tidying his shrit and tie when the door opened and Junhee stood there.

She looked at him with wide eyes. Her hair tied into a messy bun, dark blue hotpants, pink blouse and cartoon dog printed apron. Her right hand held a spatula.

“Uh-“ oh, where did his voice go?. “G-good evening, Miss Kim Junhee”

moved slightly, but no voice came out. “Oh my!” she shrieked then a loud BLAM! was heard. Right in front of his face. She closed the door.

“What was that?” he asked no one in particular. There he stood still after Junhee closed the door, left dumbfounded. He looked at his wirst-watch and realized something. “Ah, she must be preparing dinner”

He chose to wait. He set his limit and if she wouldn’t open the door until the time, he would just go and see her next day. He fished his phone out and opened angry bird game. He tried to figure out why Chanyeol called him The Angry Birds’ Captain.

The door opened, again, finally. Junhee stood there, no spatula, no apron, no hair bun, just ponytail. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to” she said in embarrassment. “Good evening to you to, Mr. Wu. Would you like to come in?”

“Yes, please. I have something to talk to you”

…

Yifan sat on the chair he had sat on a couple days ago, where he came to Junhee’s house to tell her about his intention to marry her. There was Junhee walked back and forth, slicing vegetables, chopping onion. He was right, she was preparing dinner. Junhee said her parents went to Saejong for a business.

“It’s a good thing you came” he heard she said. He looked up and Junhee continued washing apples. “I mean I don’t really like eating alone”

As soon as he saw Junhee put the apples into a bowl, he got up and want to her. “I’ll help you with these” he said as he took two bowls of rice with him. He put them on the dining table then returned to get a plate of kimchi and the bowl with apples. Junhee came with her cooking.

“It’s doenjang jjigae. I hope you don’t mind”

“Of course not. I like home-made dish”

She made a gesture asking him to taste her cooking, and he did. Junhee looked at him with expecting puppy eyes and hand clasped together in front of her chest. “How is it?”

Yifan blinked then took a sip of the broth in his spoon again.

“Is it bland?”

“Miss Kim Junhee,” he said. “It’s really good. Wow, you’re good at cooking”. Yifan started to ate and she smiled. “It is really delicious”

…

Yifan sat on a sofa. Junhee sat on the right sofa, on the other corner. When they were washing the dishes, a call came to Junhee’s mother, telling her that she couldn’t go back home that night as her father was too tired. Her mother heard Yifan’s voice when he asked her where to put the chopsticks and spoons then he was asked to stay.

They had a jar of jelly candy and chips. They talked about many things. Yifan’s work, Junhee’s campus-life, even politic and law. As she took accounting major, most of their conversation was about stock, economical topic.

There was pause after she giggled after he told her about his mother’s antics. “Miss Kim Junhee,”

“Yes, Mr. Wu”

His heart felt to his stomach when he heard how she addressed him. “What’s with ‘Mr. Wu’? Could you please call my name like you did before?”

“Isn’t that impolite?”

“Ah, nine-year ” Yifan said after realized why Junhee changed the way she addressed him. “I don’t mind you calling me by my name, though”

“Okay, then,” Junhee said in low voice. “Yifan-ssi”

He smiled. “That’s better. I want us to get comfortable”

“Isn’t-“

“I insist”

Junhee sigh in defeat as he looked at her with a slight glare. “Okay then, if you insist, Yifan-ssi”. There was a pregnant silent again. But it felt more comfortable. “I’m sorry for what I did earlier” she said. “I didn’t mean like that. Marriage is a holy thing and not something to play with”

“I’m sorry for making you thought that way. You must be upset” he replied. “I should’ve listened to you first”

“I don’t know,” he looked at Junhee who had her head down. “I mean, it’s too fast. We just met and I haven’t persued my dreams yet”

“Then tell me,” he asked. “so I can figure out what I should do”

“It’s been five months since I graduated. I decided to postpone taking master to graduate from my English Lit first” she started. She fidgeted her fingers, had zero courage to look at Yifan. “I want to get master tittle, pass the CPA test and be a fine accountant. I want to persue my dream job then get married”

“It’s a matter of priority”

“Marriage isn’t on my top priority” there she said it! She dared herself to look at Yifan. She was nervous as if she was having essay presentation. It looked like he was thinking.

“You’re still young” he said, looked at Junhee closely. “Actually I already thought that it was too fast from the first time. I’m afraid you would reject me”

“It’s not that I reject you” she said fast. Yifan’s eyes widened at the statement.

Yifan looked at the squirming girl. “Then, what were those response you gave me actually?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know” she stood. “I don’t know you. You don’t know me either”

Yifan stood in front of her. He knew he couldn’t blast his disappointment now. He couldn’t snap at everything she said. He should do something. Yifan took Junhee’s hand slowly and look at her. “Hey, look at me,” there he really couldn’t help but let out a small gasp at her glimmering eyes. She was about to cry. “Miss Kim Junhee, please, give me time. Give us a chance. Let’s give it a try. If someting upset you or I make you cry, I promise I won’t ask for second chance”

“What-“

“Just one chance. I promise I’ll be good to you” He caressed her hand tenderly. “Please” he begged.

She didn’t say anything. She remained silet even after Yifan tightened his hold. She looked at Yifan right in the eyes. Yifan was praying hard in his heart so God would approve him and make Junhee said yes.

“No second chance?”

Yifan nodded. “Yes” he said firmly.

Silent.

Silent.

“Okay”

He was surprised. “Okay?”

Junhee nodded. “Okay” she repeated.