Minseok started backtracking the moment the invitation to come to his apartment was out of his mouth.

"But we can do that anytime. No need to rampage over to my place right this second. It's not like it's going anywhere. And this is great. More than great…"

He squeezed her fingers as he talked and talked, and she knew he was worried she was going to freak and retreat again.

It was strange, but from the moment she'd held his hand and he'd told her everything was going to be okay, something inside her had relaxed. Her constant internal sentinel, always on the alert for danger, had lowered its guard. Minseok was safe. She trusted him. She believed in him.

"Yes," she said.

Minseok stalled mid-speech, his mouth open. "Really?"

"I'd like to see your work."

Minseok's slow smile was ample reward for her decision. "Cool."

By mutual accord, they lingered over the remains of their meal. As the café became more crowded Myungsoo started giving them significant looks and finally Minseok reached for his phone and sketchpad.

"Do you want to…?"

"Sure."

They stood and she followed him outside.

"My place is just around the corner." He pointed to the left, the opposite direction from her parents' place.

They started walking, and it seemed perfectly natural for their hands to find each other. Neither of them said a word. Eunseo had no idea what Minseok was thinking, but she was desperately trying to quell the voices inside her head telling her this was a mistake and she should back out and go home, now. She gritted her teeth. She was determined to do this. Determined to do something to reclaim her life.

"That's me," Minseok said, gesturing to a tall red-brick building coming up on their right. Boston ivy covered most of its facade, but what she could see of the architecture suggested it had been built in the twenties, or maybe the thirties.

"All of it?" she asked, taking in the many feet of street frontage.

"I wish. It's an old dairy, and it's been divided up into apartments. I'm upstairs, for the light."

He led her inside, then up a flight of wide, worn timber stairs. His front door was painted a vibrant purple and despite her nerves, despite the fact that every muscle in her body felt as though it was carved from rock, she smiled. Only Minseok could have a purple front door.

"It's a little chaotic inside," he said a