At 25, Yoon Shinae works for a publishing house in the heart of Seoul. She’s an editor of famous magazines and she couldn’t be any prouder about herself.

 

A bachelorette living in her own apartment and someone who earns a fair amount of money for her work so she can fend off for herself. That’s how she lives. A lot of her colleagues envy her because she almost has everything—brains, looks, stable job, lots of money in her bank, great personality. Well, that’s what they all thought.

 

Yes, she has all that she can ask for. Everything, but someone to love.

 

She didn’t think the idea of falling for someone is too far-fetched. It’s just that she doesn’t know whether it’s the right time to be, because gone were the days back in her college and high school life when she last remembered herself even liking a guy. At this point, she thinks that doing an efficient job and making money is more important. Falling in love will come last.

 

“January 14.” She says as she trails her eyes on the calendar along with her point finger, scrunching her eyebrows as she tries to remember what she had written on the said date. And when she finds it, her eyes brightens because it is written that today is her birthday. “Right, I should probably have fun later.” She says and then giggles.

 

Shinae is known in the office as a strict boss to her subordinates, but at home she’s just her. The fun and carefree girl not everyone gets to see. The only ones who can enjoy this side of her is her family and loved ones—people close to her.

 

“I should probably wear something nice today.” She tells herself as she stands in front of the calendar, arms crossed and deep in thoughts.

 

“Right!” She interjects and then rushes to her closet which is flung open sooner. Her clothes are an array of a set of blazers, formal wears for work, a few dresses, and some casual ones she can use for when she’s at home or just strolling around in the city on weekends.

 

“What should I pick?” She says as she lets her fingers brush over the hanged clothes in her closet, and then stops right when she sees the particular white dress she couldn’t even remember putting in her own collection.

 

“Since when did I even have this kind of dress?” She asks herself skeptically as she pulls the dress from the rack and holds it out in front of her with both of her hands.

 

Weird. She knows she’s a tad bit forgetful of a lot of things, just like how she often forgets where she places her car keys (she often finds them in her kitchen counter), or how she fumbles for the exact words all the time saying something like ‘what do you call that thing you strum to make music?’ instead of saying ‘guitar’ during conversations (making her colleagues laugh at her peculiar way of forgetting things), or how she forgets someone’s name in the blink of an eye, but she never thought she’d actually forget where she ever got the particular white dress or whether it’s really hers.

 

Either way, it already caught her eyes. The dress would be the perfect candidate for her outfit for today.

 

She smiles as she stares at the dress longer, taking in the sight of the sparkly beads around the waist line of the clothing and then the simplicity of the whole piece. She finds it, over all, her taste. It looks really beautiful to her for some reason.

 

She carefully lays it on her queen size bed and giddily steps into her bathroom to take a quick shower. When she finishes her bath, she excitedly changes into the dress she had picked and twirls in front of the large mirror that takes up almost a fourth of one of her apartment’s walls—she didn’t have any idea what had gotten into her that she decided to have that huge of a mirror, but she didn’t mind it that much. Somehow, seeing the mirror in her house just makes her feel very nostalgic although she can’t find any particular reason to it.

 

After having breakfast and making sure that she has all things that she needs for work, she finally gets out of her apartment. She closes her door, makes sure it’s already locked, and then turns towards the direction of the hallway when she suddenly feels herself bump against something sturdy.

 

“Umpf.” She groans just as she finds herself getting dizzy after the collision. Did she recklessly hit another pole or what?

 

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you. I’m just in a hurry for work. I… was… in a…hu—“

 

The person she has bump into stops what he has been saying when he notices who she is. His neighbor in their floor, obviously. The workaholic lady who goes to work at 7 in the morning and only goes back home late at night that he can barely see her.

 

Shinae looks up at the said person, a lanky boy with sun-kissed complexion, she thinks  she never even once saw in their apartment building. Is he a new neighbor? She thinks to herself just as she indulges into looking at his face she finds very attractive.

 

Never in her life has she known him, but she feels this slight attraction towards him despite this day being their first time meeting. It's weird, but her heart pounds as fast as the bullet train, and her cheeks burns as hot as fire the moment she realizes that he is staring back at her. That’s when she opts herself to snap out.

 

“I-I… I’m Yoon. Shin. Ae.” She blurts out, not having control of her tongue that has a mind of its own at the moment, and then holds out her hand to the beautiful stranger.

 

Stupid! Stupid! Why did I even have to introduce myself to him instead of saying something that makes sense? Doesn’t that look like I’m already hitting on him?! She tells herself inwardly as she unconsciously bites her lower lip while waiting for the stranger to take her hand.

 

The boy gulps just as he sees her initiating this kind of introduction after days. He doesn't even have any idea that this will sort of happen. Ever. But the way she actually did, he can't deny how happy she made him today. So, though he is feeling kind of nervous in front of her, he bravely reaches out his hand to hold hers and smiles when he finally feels the warmness of her hand spreading to him.

 

“I’m Kim Jongin.” He utters out, emphasizing his name. “and I-I’m really sorry for getting in your way.” He says sheepishly as he rubs his nape with his free hand.

 

“It alright—Oh.” She wills herself to free her hand from his grasp when she notices their hands still touching. Embarrassed, she curls her hand, that he had touched, on her side—rubbing her palm with her thumb to feel his lingering warmth that she thinks is still present there. “I-I’m sorry.” She tells him and then looks down.

 

Jongin chuckles at this, making her look up to him in wonder. Had she said something funny? “I’m sorry. It’s just that you looked so cute,” He says, honestly, not even simply sugar-coating just to fluster her.

 

But of course, knowing that she has some sort of crush on him, she blushes at his tiny compliment and smiles a little.

 

“Well, I guess I’m going then.” Shinae says, trying to ignore whatever she felt when he said she was ‘cute’.

 

Jongin’s face falls at this. Why does she even have to go to work this early when her work starts at 8 in the morning?  But then he can't ask that aloud to her. So, he shakes his head and clasps his hand around her thin wrist to halt her when she was about to leave. Shinae stiffens and looks back at him questioningly due to the abrupt contact he initiated.

 

“Uhm… How about I drive you to work?” Jongin asks her uneasily, praying hard in his mind for her to actually agree to his offer.

 

Shinae turns back into facing him and says monotonously, “It’s fine. I have my car.” She shows him her keys dangling from her grasp.

 

Jongin can only smack himself inwardly. Of course, how can he not think of the possibility that she’ll use the ‘car’ card just to avoid his offer?

 

“I-I insist!” He says nervously.

 

Shinae’s expression changes into that of confusion at his stubbornness. Why is he being that generous to her? “No. I wouldn’t be able to afford to bother you even more. You were in a hurry for work, right? I guess—“

 

“You won’t be a bother!” Jongin breathes out in an effort to convince her. “A-actually, I work in the same company as yours.” He tells her, laying his own card to her in the open.

 

The girl’s eyes widens at his revelation. How come she never sees him if he actually works in the same company as hers?

 

“But—“

 

She wants to point that out to him, but Jongin wills himself to drag her along with him. They take the elevator going down to the ground floor from their floor that is on the 12th.

 

Shinae is rather awkward the whole time they are on the tiny compartment because Jongin still has his hand clasps around her wrist comfortably.

 

Jongin, on the other hand, feels like he is having the best time of his life right now. He’s in the same booth as the girl he’s actually been having his eyes on for such a long time now, and he can't deny the happy feeling being this close to her gives him. It’s just amazingly unicorns and rainbows for him.

 

When they reach the ground floor, he drags her behind him out from their apartment building and opens the door to the passenger’s side of his car for her. Shinae is at loss for words with how gentlemanly he acts towards her even if it is only their first time meeting—well at least for her.

 

She slips inside his car though she deems herself still undecided on whether to come to work with him, but then she is left with no choice but to leave the task to him when she notices him already on the wheel, his smooth driving skills coming in handy on the main road.

 

Along the way, Jongin becomes his naturally talkative self and told Shinae how he’s sort of the official photographer of the company and he had worked with her several times in the past. This sort of news actually surprises Shinae because as far as she can remember, she has never seen him anywhere. Not in the company. Not in any magazine shoots she was required to attend to have checks. Not in the apartment building.

 

Today is the first day she saw him, she tells herself.

 

“I’m sorry but I can’t remember seeing you anywhere else… I believe today’s the first.” She tells him and she sees Jongin shrugging without care, as if saying ‘Don’t worry it’s fine’.

 

“You were very focused on your work that you probably didn’t notice me…” He says, trying to sound cool about it, even if his heart was pounding so painfully fast inside his chest at the thought of her not even noticing him once or at least remembering his face.

 

“I’m really sorry.” She blurts out as she focuses her gaze on her driver, though she’s not sure why she even said an apology again.

 

Jongin turns his head to her direction and heaves a smile. Forced out one. “It’s really fine.”

 

Shinae sighs softly as the boy looks away and focuses on the road ahead of them again. She is relieved that he actually didn’t take her ignorance of his existence as a big deal and is even gladder that they wouldn’t have to become awkward after this because of her unbeatable forgetfulness. She just never thought her memory is this bad, to the point she can’t recognize someone by their face—if Jongin is really saying the truth about meeting her in a lot of occasions in the past.

 

They reach the company’s building in no time, parks at the basement parking space, and goes out of the car. Jongin, being Jongin, doesn't forget to rush to her side of the car and opens the door for her. Shinae is surprised to see him actually doing so much for her, but she did everything to hide that surprise.

 

In the company, she tends to look strict and more serious so people would pay her more respect and there wouldn’t be unnecessary conversations she will have to have with them, and Jongin wouldn’t be an exception in this area even if they are neighbors back in their apartment.

 

“You don’t really have to do that, but thanks.” She tells him with much formality in her way of speaking before bowing down curtly in front of him.

 

When she straightens up herself again and tucks strands of her loose locks behind her ear, Jongin notices that she is starting to act a little distant to him. Knowing a thing or two about her, he is not blind into what she is trying to do. Obviously, the girl is pulling off her front right now because they are in the company. Shinae would have to transform back to her strict self sooner or later, but he is just probably floating too much in his high that he didn’t think she would even try that with him.

 

Of course she will. He thinks. It’s not like he’s someone very important to her right now after all. But he forces out a smile at her again, this time because he is sure that he will get past her barrier soon.

 

“You look really pretty in that dress.” He compliments.

 

The latter blushes at another flattering remark from Jongin and shuffles on her feet. “T-thank you.” She says in return.

 

Jongin smiles at this side of her. “I’ve never seen you wear that dress before. Is there a special occasion for you today that you decided to dress up?” He inquires knowingly as he raises an eyebrow at her.

 

They are already walking when Shinae finally gets the courage to answer him, “Nothing much, really. I just thought the dress was really pretty when I spotted it in my closet.” She smiles genuinely as she finishes.

 

Jongin smiles widely upon hearing her say that. He is genuinely happy too at the moment. “Well, it’s really pretty and it really suits you well. But even without it, you will still look beautiful.” He says shamelessly, his cheeks glowing to a pinkish hue.

 

Shinae feels definitely overwhelmed with all the compliments he has thrown at her, but she just decides to play along with him if he’s going to keep up with this kind of conversation with her. “Well, Mr. Kim, I really appreciate you saying very positive things about me, but are you trying to hit on me?” She says, trying to hide her teeth to him as she smiles and then scrunches her brows at him at the same time.

 

Jongin is caught off guard that he scratches the back of his head and laughs awkwardly. “Well, would it be wrong if I do?” He asks her queasily, still beaming a smile. A trembling one.

 

Shinae laughs at this. She just never thought a guy would actually act this shy in front of her when they are supposed to be the dominating one. “I don’t mind you doing that.” She tells him, somehow giving Jongin hope, “I don’t think you would be able to win me over, anyway.” She tells him, totally destroying the blooming hope Jongin once has.

 

How cruel can Yoon Shinae be to him?

 

Jongin pouts as he watches the girl leaving him behind without a care, walking her way towards their own office gracefully while greeting the co-workers that passes by them. He is thrown with mixed looks by the rest just as he tiredly greets them with a bow here and there. Occasionally, he will see them offer him a comforting smile, and he would force out one in return, not having something to say since he knows what those smiles meant.

 

In the midst of his misery, Shinae opens the doors to their office and finds herself faced with a lot of paper streamers bursting up front her from the party poppers their co-workers actually used to welcome them. Jongin is then dragged back to reality by all the commotion that’s happening and sees all his co-workers there at the foot of the door, side by side, giving them space to walk at in the middle, like it was some sort of grand entrance just without a red carpet laid out.

 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Their co-workers all shout, some of the guys giving Shinae bouquets that were bought by everyone with shared expenses, and the girls giving Jongin a friendly hug or a pat on the back.

 

“You guys…” Shinae is at lost for words, at the same time losing her composure at the thoughtful event her co-workers have pulled off for her. “How did you even know it’s my birthday?!” She asks expectantly with a smile.

 

“Well…” One of her co-workers, she can only remember by face, starts, “We just heard that Shinae-ssi and Jongin-ssi is sharing the same birthday today.”

 

“Right!” Her other co-worker, basically someone from her team, exclaims. “You and Jongin-ssi share the same birthday so we decided to do a surprise!”

 

Shinae abruptly turns to Jongin, surprised of the new information she hears about her co-worker that is also her neighbor. She has no idea that it’s possible that she can actually be sharing a birthday with someone close to her in perimeter, and that someone being Jongin. How great of a coincidence, isn’t it?

 

First, they live in the same building. Second, they work for the same company. And now, they are sharing the same birthday? If she only believes in destiny, kismet or fate… she would think that they are ‘soulmates’. But then again, she’s too old for such childish beliefs. All of this is probably purely nothing but a coincidence.

 

“Happy birthday!” Shinae chimes as she looks at Jongin, setting aside her previous thoughts at the back of her mind. “I didn’t know it’s your day too, but now that I know I’ll keep it in mind.” She tells him and such pretty crescents forms to smile back at him.

 

Jongin completely forgets the fact that they are in the office and that their co-workers are still watching them as he wraps his arms around Shinae to hug her tight. He can't erase in his memory the look she had when she greeted him, that he finally lost it. He hugged her and that was all that mattered to him.

 

Shinae is at lost for words once more, she stiffens the very moment Jongin cages her in his arms. But despite the peculiar way of thanking her, she just finds her own arms making their way around Jongin’s neck. She hugs him back because it just felt so right. Yet, she didn’t know why it felt that way.

 

“Look how perfect you two look together!” Someone chips in, causing the others to join in the teasing.

 

It is the only time Shinae finally shies away and lets go of Jongin. But when she does, she felt like she actually lost something, misses something. That something being Jongin?

 

Again, she didn’t have any clue why. Why Jongin affects her. Why Jongin can elicit those kind of emotions from her. Why she suddenly yearns for him.

 

The thought scares her. But it feels good at the same time.

 

Is she perhaps falling for Kim Jongin already?

 

 

When she wakes up the next morning, she can't remember so much about yesterday. Well, most of her remaining memories is of her and Jongin, and what they did after work to celebrate both of their birthdays.

 

Her head is pounding as she sits up clutching on the sides of her head, massaging her temples thoroughly to ease the pain. It happens more frequently now as she can remember. The pain strikes every morning or whenever she’s just stressed out. She used to deal with it with pain killers but then as days passed it’s as if her body got very immune to the drug that it doesn’t work for her anymore.

 

 She tries to get out of bed, but she stumbles back on her on her first try. Lucky that she has a mattress as the one where she falls back onto. She manages to stand upright on her second try and staggers going to the kitchen to have a glass of water and probably try double dosing on her pain killers as long as it can eliminate the pain.

 

She immediately grabbed a pitcher of water from inside her refrigerator and strutted towards her kitchen counter to raid her medicine box for a bottle of pain killers she got from her doctor since her last check up last month. A month ago. She realizes that it was that long since then and reminds herself to probably visit the doctor soon—if that even stays in her mind for long.

 

Grabbing the bottle of pain killers, she opened it and shook out two tabs of pain killers before throwing them in and practically drinking from her pitcher, not minding that she just forgot to get herself a glass. When she was satisfied, she wiped and chin with the back of her hand and turned to lean back on the kitchen counter.

 

Until when is she going to suffer like this? It was the only thing running in her mind at the moment. She doesn’t even have any idea what’s suddenly going on with her. Is she with a terminal illness? But that’s too impossible. She’s too young to be sick or die.

 

She’s not sick. She concludes before peeling herself away from the counter and forcing herself to cook some breakfast for her own. She starts by getting a pan and then putting it over the stove, she gets the tray of eggs from her refrigerator, sets it down next to the stove, lights up the stove, and then finally starts cooking the egg. When she hears her home phone ringing, she makes sure to set the fire on low so her meal wouldn’t get burned as she hurries to pick up her phone.

 

“Hello?” She says on the receiver as she massages her forehead with her thumb and index finger, but no one answered back.

 

“Hello?” She says again but the other party hangs up and she just feels so annoyed that it was just a prank call and slams down the phone without minding whether she broke it.

 

Shinae strides back to the kitchen only to find her meal burned and with black smoke emitting from the now inedible food. “Oh !”

 

She rushes to the stove, turns it off, and then dumps the pan with burned egg in the sink. She leaves the kitchen upset not minding whether her stomach’s already complaining due to hunger.

 

Had she not forgotten to put the oil on the pan, then maybe she had a decent meal for breakfast.

 

Sauntering back to her room, she plops down on her bed and shifts to her side. She doesn’t know why but it’s really weird why she suddenly felt too lazy to go to work. But maybe it’s because her head is still pounding and her body is just simply telling her to at least rest for even a day. She sighs and decides on taking the day off, calling her boss and asking for a sick leave. Gladly, the other party agrees on her idea, in fact her boss even sounded ecstatic that she finally decided to rest for a while… or is it just he imagination that he sounded like that?

 

Shinae shifts on her back and then stares blankly at the ceiling. She closes her eyes and covers them with her arm. For some reason she just feels so tired. Suddenly so tired that she feels like sleeping all day. Well, maybe she can do it today. So, she tries to sleep but then couldn’t find the urge to. She would shift from side to side until she finds it too annoying that she can’t even sleep at all. She would sit and then lay back again. Sit and lay back. Sit and lay back. She did that until she decides that she’ll just lay back and try to remember things like the name of her co-workers she often times forget, or when should she pay her parents’ a visit, or when should she set an appointment to see the doctor again. She tries remembering them again and again, mouthing them with her lips as it became her mechanism to remember more.

 

But when Jongin’s face suddenly crosses her mind, every other things she had thought of blurs in an instant. All that suddenly matters was her memories with Jongin—his face, his fierce yet soft eyes, his smile, his touch, his talkativeness, and over all his whole presence. She never thought that he would cross her mind after just a day, and yet now she could only think about him. Solely him.

 

Flashes of their mini celebration then runs back like a film strip in her mind. Jongin taking her out to see a movie, them going to the amusement park at seven in the evening and then riding the ferris wheel like silly teenagers, eating cotton candy from the stalls in the park, and then him finally bringing her back home.

 

She remembers Jongin standing behind her as she puts in her code to get inside her apartment, and then suddenly calling her when she was about to enter. She looks back at him and before she can even react properly, she just found her lips pressed against Jongin’s. His lips were so soft and too irresistible that she wasn’t able to push him away. Screw it being unexpected or unromantic. It was probably her first kiss but she didn’t mind it getting stolen by Jongin.

 

“I like you.” Jongin told her that night.

 

And it was only then that she finally admitted to herself that she likes him back. Even if it was only less than a day she had met him, she knows that she likes him too.

 

 

When her eyes finally cracks open, she sees a blurry vision of someone beside her. She couldn’t make out anything of the person’s face because he’s slumped on his knees, his elbows are on them, face buried in his palms. The lights were out and her room is completely dim. But she’s not frightened to be alone with the stranger because he seems harmless. Heck, if he was going to kill her then she wouldn’t have even woken up now.

 

Shinae sits up carefully, alerting the stranger that she’s finally awake. Alarmed, the stranger impulsively wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. Though clueless as to why, or how did he even manage to get inside her apartment, all questions are now forgotten because of him.

 

“I-I was worried why you didn’t come for work.” He says, and that just confirms to her who he was. His deep yet comforting voice calmed her, and it’s as if her sickness has been cured in an instant. She felt better than this morning.

 

“I asked for a sick leave since I had some migraine or something this morning.” Shinae explained to him, “But I am fine now.” She reassures him as she clutches on the sleeves of his dress shirt.

 

Jongin pushes himself away from her and stares at her face with worry. Even with the dim lighting he could tell that she still looked pale. “Have you eaten something before you fell asleep?” He asked her.

 

Shinae shook her head in response and then suddenly her stomach grumbles loudly in complaint. She felt her cheeks flush as Jongin bursts out laughing because of the unexpected sound she made. She was so embarrassed that she shoved him on the chest and walked out of her room. Jongin lagged behind her, saying that he would cook her anything as long as she forgives him for laughing at her.

 

“Are you sure you can?” She eyes him pointedly as she crosses her arms over her chest.

 

Jongin nods like a kid and smiles as he couldn’t hide his happiness to finally be able to cook her a meal. Unknown to her, he had been sparing some time learning how to cook in his apartment for the past two years just for the purpose of finally being able to cook for his love.

 

“Of course.” He tells her confidently and casually walks towards her kitchen without having to ask her where it was. Then again, she just thinks that maybe, her apartment is so small that Jongin could easily navigate through it.

 

Shinae sits herself on a chair and then props her left elbow on the dining table before resting the side of her face on her palm. She intended to watch him from there leisurely just for the satisfaction of finally seeing a guy move in her kitchen as if he already memorized everything in it—where she placed the chopping board, her pans, ladles, her supplies and other necessary stuff.

 

Jongin smoothly does his cooking to her surprise. He didn’t even once asked her where she had placed this and that and yet he raided her drawers and cupboards as if it isn’t the first time he had been there cooking. The food he was cooking sizzles and then emits the most delectable smell that wafted to her nose. It was amazing.

 

She actually never thought that she’d meet a guy that can cook way better than her, but look how Jongin is a living testimony that guys can also cook. He just proved her wrong. And it was all the more reason for her to imagine him being her future husband. She knows it’s too early to think of that but she didn’t mind ending up with him. If her husband would be as attractive, gentlemanly, and skillful as Jongin, then why not?

 

She smiled giddily when Jongin finally served their meal, and even did the honor of putting more stuff on her bowl while telling her to eat more so she wouldn’t get so skinny.

 

“If food is this nice, I wouldn’t mind getting fat!” She tells him excitedly after tasting her first portion of the food Jongin had cooked for her.

 

Jongin chuckles at the sight of her being so happy just because of the meal he had prepared for her. He felt so fulfilled in being able to move her because of his cooking that he couldn’t do anything but smile at her. Guess, hard work pays off well for people who deserves it, and this is just probably one of the few things that he’ll receive in return for his efforts.

 

“If you love it that much the