- I want to love you with simple words that could not be spoken by wood to the fire, which turned it into ash.

I want to love you with a simple gesture that could not be delivered from cloud to rain, which make it become nothing. - *

It had been three days since that Sunday, but L.Kim had not contacted her again. He also was nowhere to be found. Gyuri also couldn't make an excuse to meet him through work. His assistant said Myungsoo didn't want to meet anyone for a while. He was busy. Gyuri was restless. She kept checking on her phone every minute. In case that she missed his call or message. It liked she was hanging on thread.

He absolutely said that he started his relationship with a kiss and he kissed me. Didn't that mean that we are in relationship?

No I haven't given the answer to him.

But, he said he would contact me again for another date.

What do I think?

Ugh... Park Gyuri, welcome back to this circle. You are entering dating hell. Gyuri grunted.

"Is there something bothering you, Gyuri?" The voice.

"Nothing," Gyuri quickly answered it. Avoided staring at him.

For a while, Gyuri forgot that she got another problem here. Lee Sungyeol was here in her team, holding a team meeting for Hi.Life's special edition coverage.

That devil, Jang Dongwoo. Gyuri really wanted to curse on her superior to set up her in this mess. It was not enough that he called back Lee Sungyeol to main office, that devil also put him in the same project with her. Suddenly Gyuri wished that she never congratulated him for his promotion to be Editor in Chief last week when he told her separately. That way his position would never fill by this guy who sitting in front her.

"Tell me again, what is he doing in our team meeting?" Seungyeon whispered at Gyuri. She was also shock when Sungyeol appeared in their office on Monday. Until today, she still couldn't believe that Lee Sungyeol was back to main office. Sitting in front her, talked nonetheless liked he never left at first.

In fact, other than Gyuri and Seungyeon and several people in other teams, people in their office didn't know about him at all He was away too long from main office. New generation filled up the teams. But, Lee Sungyeol, as an easy going person he was, attempted to talk with Sungjong and Jiyoung, the youngest member in the team. Listening to their ideas. 

"Don't ask me. Ask the devil," Gyuri whispered back to answer her office mate.

“He is really such a jerk. How could he dare comeback here after what he did to you?” It was Gyuri’s problem but Seungyeon acted like it was hers too. Gyuri kept her silence when Seungyeon did her part to condemn Sungyeol’s act to comeback and acted like nothing.

"Are you okay?" After a while, Seungyeon asked in concern, but Gyuri shrugged it off.

"I can manage it," yes, she could handle the situation by avoid talking in personal with Sungyeol. She would keep this in professional relationship only, like what Dongwoo expected for her. It was her specialty. 

Gyuri tried to look care less by unlocking her phone to check out her call log again. It had been more than ten minutes since the last time she checked.

"Are you waiting for someone call?" Seungyeon couldn't help to feel bothered by Gyuri's act these days. She kept checking on her phone but when she found nothing her expression turned sour.

"No one. Nothing." Gyuri locked her phone back and put it inside her blazer pocket.

"Are you back to dating jungle, Gyuri?"

"What? No, I'm not that silly."

"Really? It such a shame then."

Gyuri knitted her eyebrow when she heard Seungyeon's comment which was unusual. "What's with your comment?"

"Nothing, I just think that it's about the time for you to find new love if you are really over from that guy." Seungyeon pointed at Sungyeol with her pen secretly.

Gyuri felt weirder. It was rarely for Seungyeon to talk about dating. She refused the idea of dating and preferred open relationship without commitment.  Because she thought, relationship was vague. It was tiring to argue about the border between what should we do or not. She didn't want to invest her time for being inside such as relationship just because she was afraid to be alone in old age.

"Do you date that novelist finally?" Gyuri asked her since Seungyeon mentioned that she maintained her connection with the novelist guy longer than just a one-night stand. They agreed to meet each other regularly, even though it was just for spending night together.

"What? No..." Seungyeon's reaction was quite different from usual. Gyuri felt something fishy here but she didn't want to pry on it because Seungyeon's love life was her privacy.

Seungyeon looked indifferent under Gyuri's sight. She took her phone, typed something on the phone, and sent it. Edge of her lips curved up unconsciously.

That's indeed not a normal side of her, Gyuri thought.

***

"Hey, Gyuri. Are you going to eat lunch?"

Gyuri walked faster when she heard the voice. She already did it since the day he joined the main office again. She didn't want to encounter him personally. But, today seemed like not her lucky day.

Sungyeol grabbed her arm and yanked her toward him. "Are you avoiding me?"

Gyuri yanked off Sungyeol's hand from her arm forcefully. "So you noticed it. I thought you become dense already for being abroad in long time. Don't talk to me other than about work."

"You're angry with me."

Gyuri fumed. "Do you think? What are you planning, Lee Sungyeol ssi? You just come back and pretend nothing happened.” She purposely talked in formal language with him. To give them space that they needed.

Sungyeol didn't say anything for first. He stared at Gyuri. It was not like he didn't expect Gyuri to say something like that to him. In fact, he knew that at least Gyuri would be angry to him. Much angrier. But, she only shrugged him off like he never existed in her life. She gave him cold shoulder. But, what Sungyeol expected. He knew that he deserved that much.

"If you don't have anything to say, I'll take my leave, manager-nim." Gyuri kept treating him like stranger.

"You know, if you still hate to see me that much, it means you still have feeling for me." Sungyeol said while Gyuri was walking pass him. Gyuri's step was stopped. "I still have my chance to get you back."

Gyuri gave him no response. Although her blood boiled inside her head for the nonsense Sungyeol talked about. Maybe living abroad too long caused his brain crashed.  What kind nonsense he sprouted.

***

Sungyeol was left alone there, staring at Gyuri's back. His expression was unreadable. He looked like in deep thought.

"You shouldn't push her that hard, Yeol." His silence was disturbed by someone talked to him.

"Dongwoo Hyung," Sungyeol turned around and saw Dongwoo stood behind him like he was watching him talking to Gyuri before.

Dongwoo approached Sungyeol and hit him softly with back of his hand. "It's your fault at first to leave her. Give her time."

"But, I don't think I have time," Sungyeol said sourly.

"Don't rush or you'll lose everything. I have done a favor for you, so you should pay me back with your hard work. I'm expecting a great result for the special edition, you know." Dongwoo cut the sour situation that Sungyeol created.

Sungyeol cracked a chuckle. "I know. Nothing come free from your pocket, right? Just count on me."

***

When Myungsoo was missing for days, people probably thought he was hunting for another photo series. In reality, what he did was another thing.

He was preparing for moving to Gyuri's house. Cleaning the house when the owner was in office. He moved his things one by one into his room in second floor.

Thank God, Gyuri led a busy life lately which was she went home late and went straight to bed after she washed up. And in the early morning, she rushed out of the house.

Although Myungsoo was worried about her life style, h