You spent the rest of the day in your room trying to stop yourself from thinking about Taekwoon and his annoying question. At first you were surprised to see him there when you thought he had left already which made you think whether he was actually waiting for you. But when he asked you that silly question he left you with contradicting feelings. Does he care? Does he not? What does he want?

Your thoughts were interrupted with light knocks on your door. You looked at the clock hanging on the wall before getting off your bed.

- Who is it?

- It's me, Hakyeon.

He's to be blamed for all that! You thought to yourself before opening the door for him.

- When did you get home?

He asked but you didn't answer as you sat down on your bed. Looking at him, you said:

- Why do you care?

You were still upset that he couldn't pick you up when he said he would.

- I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up. I thought we'll finish early but two of my friends were late and I couldn't leave.

- It's fine.

- How did you get home?

You hesitated for a couple of seconds as you recalled your awkward conversation with Taekwoon. Should I tell him?

- Taekwoon picked me up.

You said and waited for his reaction. He frowned as he asked:

- What?

- I ran into him at the coffee shop and he offered to drop me home.

- So now you're talking to him?

You raised an eyebrow at his question.

- Why shouldn't I? Doesn't he work for us?

He took a deep breath and then asked:

- Did he talk to you?

You decided you didn't want him to know what happened. It would only complicate things more.

- No.

- Good.

Good? You darted your gaze in his direction before asking:

- Why aren't you friends with him anymore?

He looked at you and for a few seconds as if he was trying to find a good reason. When he failed, he simply said:

- I don't know.

- How do you think he felt about losing the only friends he had?

Hakyeon sighed and remained silent. They must have been through a lot, you thought to yourself as you looked at Hakyeon fiddled with his fingers. You cleared your throat and them added:

- I saw him with a friend today and he seemed very happy. I wonder if he was going to be this happy if the two of you remained friends.

Hakyeon snorted.

- No he won't. Having to serve me and my family all the time won't make him happy if he was my friend. It'll only make things worse.

He was right. Things aren't as ideal as you thought.

- Why is he still working here if he can attend college? Why didn't move out?

- I have no idea. Why don't you ask him?

He said and you looked sheepishly at him.

- I am just curious.

- So you'll ask him?

- No.

- Good.

You looked at him again but he looked away. He then stood up and excused himself. Before leaving he turned and said:

- Dad says you can go to the company tomorrow and check the lab to see if you're ready to start working there.

You jumped off bed as you asked him:

- Are you serious?

He smiled at you and said:

- Yes. The driver will drop you there in the morning if you want to.

- I can't wait! Thank you! Thank you so much!

You gave him a short hug. He patted your back as he said:

- I've never seen anyone so excited about going to work.

You giggled as he ruffled your hair before leaving your room. You closed the door before turning toward your laptop. You put it inside your bag and then turned to look for something to wear to work tomorrow. You were beyond excited about going to the company. You needed something to busy yourself with and you needed to make use of your studies and experience. I can finally spend time outside this house; you lay on your bed while thinking of nothing but work.

You woke up early the next morning, took a quick shower and changed before heading to the kitchen. Breakfast with Nana would be served an hour and a half from now since you're awake very early, so you thought you'd grab something quick from the kitchen before going to work. You knocked on the door and saw Taekwoon, dressed casually, sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee. Your heart was acting strangely; beating a little too fast when your eyes fell on Taekwoon. He was too busy reading the book in front of him to notice you staring at him. One of the maids walked up to you and asked you what you wanted.

- Can make me something to eat? I need to leave in 30 minutes.

- Sure ma'am. I'll bring it to your room.

- No no. I'll be in the living room. Thank you!

You thanked her and took one last look at Taekwoon before leaving the kitchen. As soon as you walked out of the kitchen, Taekwoon lifted his head up and looked at you as you greeted Nana and kissed her cheek. His heart was pounding in his chest when he heard you talking to the maid. He wanted to lift his head and look at you, to fill his eyes with the sight of you. But he was afraid that you might be avoiding him. When you left the kitchen, he finally had the courage to let his eyes follow you as the corners of his lips lifted up in a faint smile. He closed his book immediately and told the maid that he'll take care of your breakfast. She was surprised to hear him hum a happy song as he took some bread out of the fridge to make you a sandwich.

- Why are you so happy?

She asked. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he bit his lower lip in embarrassment. She let out a giggle and he turned around to hand her the plate.

- Please give it to her. I have to go.

She gave a nod and took the plate from him. He grabbed his bag and waved at her on his way out.

15 minutes later the maid served you a sandwich and a cup of coffee. You thanked her as you grabbed the sandwich while looking at the clock. You didn't want to be late for your first day of work. After the first bite, you paused and stared at the sandwich. The taste was unusual. You swallowed the first bite and took the second as you tried to figure out its content. You put it down when it didn't remind you of anything you've eaten before and went to the kitchen. The maid was preparing Nana's breakfast when she saw you walk into the kitchen with a confused expression on your face.

- Who made this?

You asked as soon as she looked at you.

- Is there anything wrong with it?

She asked in concern.

- No. I just want to know who made it.

She seemed hesitant for a few seconds before answering:

- Taekwoon did.

Your heart pounded like a drumbeat in your ears. You looked around but he was nowhere to be found.

- Where is he?

- He left a minute ago.

He must have heard me, you thought to yourself. You thanked them and went back to your breakfast, not being able to understand what triggered you in this sandwich. It somehow felt familiar, but you weren't sure why. You tried figuring out the content of the sandwich and thought it must be some kind of cheese. You had no idea why cheese would trigger you like that. You ate your breakfast, drank your coffee before looking for the driver and heading toward the company.

Half an hour later you were in Uncle Kim's office. He and your father owned a pharmaceutical company which you were excited to join since it was related to your studies and work experience. You found your father sitting in Uncle Kim's office waiting for your arrival.

- Are you ready to start the tour?

Uncle Kim asked after greeting you.

- Yes.

- You look very excited. If only Hakyeon was this excited about work instead of spending his time with his friends.

You laughed.

- He'll do well once he finds a job that matches his interests.

- I hope so.

Uncle Kim then stood up and said:

- Shall we go?

You stood up and followed Uncle Kim toward the secretary's office.

- This is Mrs. Park, my secretary. She's the most efficient employee in the whole company.

The secretary smiled shyly and thanked him for his compliments as she shook hands with you.

- I take after my boss.

Uncle Kim smiled as he introduced you to her:

- This is my niece, Mr. Lee's daughter.

She gave you a tiny nod and smiled as she said:

- Nice to meet you.

- She'll be joining the lab's staff if she likes it there.

- I hope she does.

He then turned to look at you as he said:

- If you need anything ask Mrs. Park and she'll help you out.

You smiled at her and then you and Uncle Kim excused yourselves before leaving toward the laboratory. He introduced you to the staff of the lab, and the chemical scientists you'll be working with. You listened intently and tried to remember all their names but lost track half way when you saw a guy walk into the door.

- Seokjin! You're late, again.

One of the scientists said and you almost yelled:

- Kim Seokjin!

He darted his gaze in your direction and then his face broke into a smile when he recognized you. He walked up to you and shook your hand eagerly, with a grin on his face.

- I haven't seen you in 2 years!

He said and you turned to Uncle Kim and said:

- Seokjin and I went to college together. We used to be lab partners.

- Great! Then you'll enjoy working together.

- I am sure we will.

Seokjin said and you smiled at the familiar vibe suddenly glowing in this new laboratory. You and Seokjin spent 4 years studying and spending nights at the lab to finish your presentations and projects. You were very close, and having to work with him almost all the time you couldn't but grow attracted to him. But when he told you about the girl he liked in one of his classes and his plans to confess his feelings to her, you decided to keep your feelings to yourself and focus on your studies.

You spent the day looking at research results and samples of what your coworkers have been working on for the past couple of months. During the break, you had the time to chat with Seokjin about how he moved back home two years ago, joined this company and got engaged to his girlfriend of 4 years. You were very happy to see him again and to know that he lives with the girl he loves. His girlfriend was everything he talked about during the long nights you spent together working on some research paper. She'd call him or text him and he'd be grinning all night long thinking about her texts and telling you how much he loves her. He still spoke of her with the same passion, and you wondered how it felt like to be in love with someone so passionately and for such a long time. You couldn't deny that sometimes you felt lonely, and sometimes a bit jealous. You wished you had someone who loved you this much. Once you graduated, you started working and you had no time for love or relationships, but seeing Seokjin again and listening to his little anecdotes about his girlfriend made you think that it's probably time for you to consider being in a relationship.

After a couple of hours of more chatting and more research reading, it was time to go home. You called the driver since your father and Uncle Kim had already left for a meeting at another branch. As you and Seokjin collected your things, you said:

- How about you join us over lunch when you have time? I really want to meet your girlfriend... I mean fiancée.

He smiled as he replied:

- We'd love to. I'll have to ask her first though.

- Sure! You have to come meet my family. They'll be glad to know that I found you here.

He gave you a quick, light hug and patted your back before saying goodbye and leaving the lab after promising to pay you and your family a visit soon.

You arrived home and saw Taekwoon entering the house from the back door. Seeing him reminding you of the sandwich he made you this morning. You waited until he was inside the kitchen and then followed him to ask him about it. Before you could reach the kitchen, you heard Nana calling your name.

She extended her arms and gave you a hug before asking:

- How was your first day?

- It went great. I ran into an old friend who's working at the same laboratory.

- Oh! This is why you look so happy!

- Very!

- You should invite him over lunch!

- I already did and he said he will when he has time.

She was silent for a second and then gave you a meaningful smile as she asked:

- Is he handsome?

You giggled as you knew exactly what to say to avoid any more questions:

- Yes and engaged.

- Ah, what a loss.

She seemed disappointed, causing you to laugh. She laughed with you and then asked as she walked toward the kitchen:

- I assume you're hungry, since you didn't have breakfast.

- I ate a sandwich but I am starving.

- Oh poor kid, working all day long when you've only eaten a sandwich. I'll tell them to serve lunch immediately.

- That'd be great! I'll change quickly and come down again.

As she walked into the kitchen and altered your plans and decided to ask Taekwoon about the sandwich later. You wanted to know if its content meant anything to you, since he already knew about the chocolate milk. He seemed to know a lot about you and your lost childhood. You were eager to know as much as you could, without freaking him out or causing him any trouble.

The following morning you found Nana waiting for you at the living room. She woke up earlier than usual to ask the maids to prepare you a proper breakfast. Being eager to go to work, you ate quickly and then left the house in a hurry. You enjoyed the feeling of productivity after the long vacation that you were somehow forced to have. Seokjin was also fun to be around. Even though he looked very serious while working, during breaks he'd be all bubbly and talkative, which is why everybody liked working with him. Feelings of jealousy had long disappeared the more he talked about his girlfriend, and you were starting to realize that they are both blessed to have each other. To rid yourself of feelings of loneliness, you immersed yourself in work and tried your best to prove to your coworkers that you are not here simply because your father is a partner.

It was the weekend and since Nana made sure you had a healthy breakfast each morning, you had long forgotten about Taekwoon's sandwich. You had also invited Seokjin to come over for lunch with his fiancée. You woke up early and passed by the kitchen to make sure nothing of the food served for lunch contained cheese or any dairy products, since Seokjin was lactose intolerant. You checked everything before you headed back to your room, trying to find something to wear. As you tried on dresses, you recalled what happened last night.

You were sitting in the living room, reading one of your books when you heard Eunji calling your name. You saw her walking up to you before sitting down next to you. You looked at the worried expression on her face and then asked her:

- What's wrong?

- I need to talk to you.

- Are you okay? Your face is pale. What's wrong?

You put the book down and gave her all your attention. She sighed and remained silent for a couple of seconds, which made you worry even more, before she finally started talking:

- I... I have a boyfriend and... he proposed last night.

- Proposed?

You were surprised, but you still couldn't understand why she seemed so displeased. She fiddled with her fingers for a couple of seconds before adding:

- He wants us to get married as soon as possible.

- Eunji this is great! But... you don't seem too happy about it?

- It's because... I think I'm pregnant.

You gasped and her face turned red.

- I love him and he wants us to get married without knowing I'm pregnant but I'm just... I don't know.

You placed your hand on her knee as you asked:

- Are you afraid he'd change his mind if you tell him?

- No no, he'd never do that. He wants us to get married so we can start our own family as soon as we can but I just didn't want to get pregnant before getting married.

- So now what?

You asked.

- I don't know. He wants to meet my family and proceed with the wedding as soon as we can.

- That's great! Did you talk to your parents?

- When do you think I should do it?

- Now! If he wants to get married as soon as you can then you should go for it now! If you're sure that's what you want then go for it.

- It is what I want. He is what I want. I am just nervous.

You placed your hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly before giving her a reassuring smile:

- Don't worry. Everything will be fine. If you love each other, don't waste anymore time being nervous.

She smiled at you and let out a sigh in relief before wrapping her arms around your body and whispering:

- Thank you.

- You're most welcome.

News of the upcoming wedding spread around the house and you found Eunji chatting with your other cousins about what day to choose, whom to choose as her bridesmaid and the rest of the wedding details. You were surprised how quick things were going, considering that she told you only a couple of hours ago. She walked up to you with a big smile on her face.

- I talked to my parents and they said they want to meet him tomorrow. I spoke with him and he said he'll be glad to pay us a visit. I think we'll get married by the end of next month!

- That's great! I am so happy for you.

You were indeed happy for her. She was glowing with happiness. She left your room when her phone started ringing and the smile on her face told you it was her boyfriend. You were again feeling lonely and slightly jealous. You wanted to be in a relationship too. Taekwoon's face suddenly popped up in your head and it made you wonder how things would have been if you haven't gotten into that accident, or if your parents hadn't opposed to you and Taekwoon being togehter. Would you be dating him now? Would you still be with him? Would you be married to him?

Your phone started ringing while you were trying one of the dressed you picked for today. You saw Seokjin's name on your screen and you smiled as you picked up:

- Hey!

- Seokjin! How are you?

- I am good, what about you?

- I am waiting for you.

- Oh! I'm sorry... Mina says thank you for inviting us but she can't make it to lunch today. She forgot that she had an appointment with one of her clients.

You were slightly disappointed. You wanted to see the woman who had him looking love-struck for years.

- Oh! But you're still coming right?

- Yes sure. I just wanted to inform you that she's not. I'll come at 1 if that's okay.

- I was too eager to meet her but we can do that later. And yes 1 is perfect!

- Okay then. I'll see you at 1?

- Sure!

You waited at the front door to greet Seokjin as soon as he entered the house. He hugged you and then you pulled him behind you to introduce him to your family. He was seated next to you, in Hakyeon's usual seat since Hakyeon was meeting some friends over lunch. Nana asked him all kinds of questions about you, your time together in college, his fiancée and his family.

You found yourself glancing at him as he continued chatting over dessert. Nana took a special interest in him. She was delighted to meet someone who could tell her about you. He told her about some embarrassing episodes of you sleeping in the library after midnight or throwing up before your presentation because you were too nervous. She laughed at your embarrassed face and you caught yourself nudging Seokjin's side several times to make him stop.

A few minutes later you excused yourself and went into the kitchen looking for something to drink when you ran into Taekwoon. You greeted him but he didn't seem to hear you as he continued putting the dishes away. You knocked on the door and he flinched and for a second you wondered if he is ever going to stop being startled every time you knock on the door.

- How can I help you?

He asked, his voice coming out soft and quite. You've always wondered how such a soft voice comes from such cold looks and unreadable gazes.

- I'm looking for something to drink. Some juice or soda would be fine.

- Go back to your fiancé and I'll get you something to drink in a second.

You raised an eyebrow and asked:

- My fiancé?

He ignored your question as he opened the fridge to get you juice. You stared at him for a second and then said:

- He's not my fiancé. He's just a friend.

He remained silent as he poured a glass of juice and put the juice back in the fridge. His silence was frustrating.

- Why are you even asking?

He looked up at you and took a couple of seconds to answer:

- I'm just curious.

You frowned at him before huffing in annoyance:

- You're so annoying.

You turned around and left the kitchen before he could say anything. You were annoyed that he spoke so mindlessly, assumed things and kept repeating this sentence which made you regret asking him about the girl the other day. It was as if by being the first to ask him a personal question, he had the right to ask you anything anytime he wanted.

You went back to where Seokjin and Nana were sitting, trying to hide your annoyance when you saw Taekwoon walking in your direction with a tray in hand, offering you the juice you just left in the kitchen. You hesitated for a second before reaching for it and saying:

- Thank you.

He nodded and left, and you instantly felt guilty for calling him annoying and having him follow you with the glass of juice. You soon forgot everything about him as Seokjin continued to spill out your secrets to your family and you had to punch his side several times to make him stop. Nana urged him to continue and you were dying to make him stop, making her laugh at you even more.

Two hours after Seokjin left, Eunji's boyfriend arrived, greeting the whole family before Nana took him to the garden along with Eunji and her parents to talk about his proposal and the wedding. Seeing them all get busy with him, you went up to your room. You flopped on your bed, stared at the ceiling and wondered why Taekwoon referred to Seokjin as your fiancé. You then thought he might have mixed up between him and Eunji's boyfriend since they both were expected to come on the same day.

You didn't know how much time had passed when you woke up to find that you were still in your dress. You looked at the clock on the wall to find that it was almost time for dinner. You could hear your stomach growling so you changed into something comfortable before going downstairs. Eunji's boyfriend was still there so you asked one of the maids to bring your dinner to your room before going upstairs again.

Almost 20 minutes later you heard knocking on your door. You jumped off your bed and opened the door to see Taekwoon standing there holding a tray. You let him in and he placed the tray on the coffee table in the middle of your room and turned around to leave when you suddenly remembered.

- Wait. I need to ask you something.

He turned and looked at you. You asked:

- Did you make me the sandwich the other day?

- What sandwich?

- The one you made when I asked for breakfast before going to work.

He let out an 'ah' and then said:

- Yes.

- What was inside it?

You asked, eager to know the content of that mysterious sandwich.

- Why? Didn't you like it?

- I did. But I couldn't figure it out.

He let out a sigh in relief and then replied:

- It's cheese and honey.

You raised an eyebrow as you failed to link the combination with anything you've eaten before.

- Cheese with honey? Why? Is it something you usually make for breakfast?

- No.

- What is it then? I don't understand why you made me such a thing.

He couldn't hide the tiny hint of disappointment taking over his handsome features as he said:

- It was your favorite.

He said and your heart clenched. I was right. He knows more about me than I thought he did.

- And the chocolate milk?

- You've always liked it with marshmallows on top.

You were suddenly getting very emotional. While Taekwoon's eyes were sparkling, yours were getting teary.

- Why do you still remember this?

You asked with a shaking voice, not knowing what answer to expect.

- I never forgot anything related to you.

His voice was soft, and somehow loving. You remained silent, trying to find something to say. He turned around to leave, not wanting to be seen in your room. He stopped in his tracked when you called his name.

- Taekwoon...

It took him a couple of seconds to turn around and look at you.

- Do you... by any chance... still like me?

His face and ears turned a bright shade of red and he averted his eyes away from you without answering.

- Is this why you asked me about Hakyeon and... Seokjin?

He was still staring at the floor. Your heart was pounding in your chest and you found yourself asking:

- Are you... jealous?

He lifted his head up and looked at you, his eyes filled with longing as he stuttered:

- I... have to... go.

He left the room hurriedly and you followed him as you called his name. He disappeared behind the corner leaving you standing in front of your room, hearing nothing but the pounding of your heart.

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