Victoria eyed her before getting up, “I should go now. My dog will be waiting for me.”

In Ji smiled and bid her farewell before Victoria left her office. Just when she left there was another knock on her door.

“Hi.” a male voice greeted.

“Hi, how can I help you?” In Ji asked.    

“I just wanted to greet the prettiest person in the psychology department,” the man smiled.

Feeling fluttered In Ji smiled back warmly.

/////

When Victoria returned to her office she found an unexpected visitor sitting in the guest chair.

“Hi,” he smiled.

Victoria ignored him, walked to her desk, packed her stuff, and headed for the door.

“I thought I told you to get lost,” Victoria said.

“I can’t really get lost because I know my way around so well,” Donghae replied with a playful smile.

Victoria rolled her eyes and reached for the door knob. “Get out first.”

Donghae got up from the chair and out into the hallway. Heaving a sigh Victoria walked out locking the door behind her before heading for the stairs. She stopped on the stairs and turned back to look at Donghae.

“Where’s your crutch?” she asked.

“Why? Would you help me down if I asked you?” he asked.

“Break a leg then,” Victoria told turning around and heading down the stairs at a fast speed.

When she headed out the doors and down the sidewalk she felt surprised when she heard his voice just behind her.

“You can’t lose me like that,” he told. “I was in track, you know?”

“Are you bragging?”

“Not exactly.”

“What do you want?”

“Nothing.”

Victoria stopped in her steps and turned around to look at him.

“Just to talk.” he told. “Really. Just talk.”

Victoria stared at him before something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Victoria turned to her right to see Hee Sun standing from the other side of the block watching them with a small hurtful glare. When Hee Sun noticed her she quickly turned around and disappeared into the crowd that had just crossed the street to her side.

“Are you listening to me?” Donghae broke into her thoughts.

Victoria turned back to him, “Ok, lets talk. I have something to say to you too.”

After dropping off her bags at home and letting Melodix out they were out on a walk. They found a bench secluded from a small playground and sat there. The grass was slowly beginning to fade in color as they went deeper into autumn. Leaves of various colors lied about on the ground creating a color schemed setting.

“Go on.” Victoria told. “With whatever you want to say.”

“You know I wasn’t kidding about last night.”

“Enough about last night. If all you have to say is about that then I don’t want to hear it.” she told keeping her attention on the dying grass. She really didn’t want to hear what he had to say about his sudden visit or what he told her out of the blue. None of it mattered to her and she wasn’t willing to accept him.

“Han In Seol…” he said catching her attention. “I don’t intend to take his spot. I know it’s only been 5 or 6 months but I will wait even if it’s 1 month, 2 months, or even a year.”

“Are you crazy? Do you know who you’re talking to?” Victoria asked turning to look at him feeling nostalgic.

“If you’re not Victoria Song then who would I be talking to?” he asked.

“I can make you wait 5 years. I can make you wait your whole life,” she started.

“Fine.” he immediately cut in.

Victoria let out a surprised gasp and looked away.

“I know you’re not taking me seriously right now anyway,” he added.

And truth be told he was right. Victoria couldn’t bring herself to take him seriously with his “I like you” that came all so suddenly. She wasn’t ready to leave behind In Seol and move on with her life. Not yet, not just yet. She wasn’t willing to forget him. If she forgot him would he forget her too?

“I’m honestly being sincere,” Donghae said, “I don’t want to be him and I know you don’t want me to be him. I can give you time…I will really give you time.”

“Why are you assuming I’m interested?”

“Not assuming, but there were times you were curious about me, right?” he asked.

Victoria didn’t reply.

“You can use your own time to think, no matter how long it’ll take, but also during that time I won’t leave you alone. As you said I want to keep barging into your life,” Donghae told with a smile.

Victoria clenched her jaw together very gently before she said, “So you’re confirming the answer that you came to Seoul for me?”

“Huh?”

Victoria finally turned to him, “Eunhyuk’s little sister, Hee Sun, why don’t you just go to her?”

“By saying that does it mean you hate me?” he asked then watched Victoria’s eyes change into a serious expression. “We are adults so we should be honest with ourselves. We’re not youngsters who should be creating drama, don’t you think?”

“Up to you then,” Victoria replied getting up. “Then you head back and I’ll go back on my own. I’ll just wait till I hear from you again…Lee Donghae.” Victoria glanced at him once then walked away from the bench.

There was no more reason for her to question why Hee Sun had always approached her. The girl did seriously have some deep feelings for this investigator, but Hee Sun knew him too well to talk to him like that. Her only option was to step on the person her oppa eyed. But enough with that. Victoria did feel pity and sympathy for Hee Sun but it wouldn’t help either of them in any way because it wasn’t like the little girl would understand her. And Donghae…she didn’t want to consider his words yet. She’ll really put them to concern some other time. Maybe never.

/////

He watched her walk away assuring himself that even if she didn’t take him seriously she would some day in the near future. Because he believed she still needed him around since her ‘Stalker’ issue hadn’t ended yet. And just looking at her he knew that Han In Seol was still so clear in her memory. The pain from losing him was all still so fresh. If there were one promise he had to take on it’d be that he wouldn’t leave her the same way In Seol did.

The next few days he went in and out from the summer house and back and forth to the psychology department. He came to the conclusion one day that Victoria liked being mean to him. He saw her particularly every day and time went by like that.

Finally getting out of his car Donghae walked toward the psychology building but a familiar voice stopped him. He turned around to meet with a face he hadn’t seen for quite some time.

“I wonder what the lovely Donghae is doing here,” Heechul said walking over with a smile.

Donghae glanced at the casual clothes he was wearing.

“Your day off today?” Donghae asked turning around.

“Of course,” Heechul replied and Donghae finally noticed the bag of snacks he was carrying with him. “But I wonder what you’re doing here? I heard from Chief Kang that you’re supposed to be off duty these few weeks. Not checking up on your suspect are you?”

Donghae stared back at Heechul feeling competition grow between them before he smiled coolly hoping that it annoyed him. “Not checking up, visiting.”

Heechul let out a small laugh, “What difference does that make?”

“The difference that I’m visiting Victoria as a friend, not as an investigator, you know?” Donghae told.

Heechul’s expression changed from playful to a serious one, “What do you mean?”

“My, my Kim Heechul. I didn’t know you were this blunt, but it’s fine too,” Donghae said. “But lets stop talking about me and talk about you. What are you doing here in Seoul?”

“Visiting my old schoolmate,” Heechul replied gaining some confidence in the fact that Donghae wouldn’t know what he was talking about and he was right as he watched Donghae frown.

“Schoolmate?” he repeated.

Heechul smirked and looked slightly away before turning back. “Want to race in? If I get up there before you, I get lunch and you don’t.”

Donghae glanced at Heechul hard before making a run in through the doors and paused in front of the elevators before deciding on the stairs.

Heechul boasted in through the doors after him and stepped into the elevator quickly pressing the button to the third floor.

He darted up the zig-zag stairs as fast as he could and pulled open the door that led to the third floor. The elevator was located somewhere in the middle of the hallway and so was Victoria’s office. If Heechul got there first Donghae was sure he’d lose. Immediately as he pulled open the door he literally ran until he found Victoria’s office and just as he got to the door trying to catch his breath tiredly he heard the ‘ding’ from the elevator. Donghae turned with a smile of victory watching Kim Heechul walk toward him as if they hadn’t bet on anything at all.

***FYI: It's been a month or so since he's confessed to her.