The park was almost completely filled with children from the neighborhood and their accompanying parents and nannies. Mi Yeon arrived to find Seung Cheol waiting at the bordering fence, with two beverages in his each hand. When he saw her, he smiled brightly.  

"Thanks," Mi Yeon said as she accepted the canned coffee from him.  

He ushered her over to a nearby bench that just became available. As soon as they sat, Seung Cheol took her hand in his. Instead of just holding hands, Mi Yeon opened her palm so that they could entwine their fingers and be more comfortable. As she did, Seung Cheol chuckled.  

"How was your night back at home?" Mi Yeon asked after taking a sip of her drink. 

"It was definitely nice to be in my own bed again." 

Mi Yeon smiled, envious that he was comfortable while she couldn’t even step foot near her bathroom door.  

"What about you?" He asked. 

"It wasn’t a peaceful night, but I'm working on it." 

A minute of silence passed before either of them spoke again. 

"I was thinking of going to see Ji Hoon and the others tomorrow. Just to check in," Seung Cheol said. 

"That's a great idea. Mind if I come along?" 

"I was actually hoping you'd join me." He let out a low chuckle.  "Oh, my mom asked if you wanted to have dinner with us sometime this week." 

"Oh, sure, that sounds nice." 

They passed most of the time watching the passersby and trying to figure out what they should do with their lives from that point on. They avoided talking about Mi Yeon's brother, as it would only give tension to the mood. Instead, they held hands and leaned on each other, enjoying each other's company. 

___

"This weekend, we'll be having dinner with an associate of mine. He is one of the Deans at Korea University. Maybe we can get him to look at your file," Mi Yeon's father stated as he sat at the dinner table.  

Her mother sat opposite her and continued to eat, being a spectator as usual.  

"Yes, Father," Mi Yeon responded.  

"Also, I want you to come spend a few days in my company. Just come and get a feel of the company. When you're ready, you can tell me which department you'd like to be in." 

"How will I work there while I go to College?" 

"Just in case the Dean doesn’t help us, you'll have a plan B." 

"I was thinking of maybe taking some time to decide on what I want to do." 

Her father slammed his stainless steel spoon on the glass-top of the table. "You had time to think in that place!" He screamed, referring to the Chilyo Institute.  

Mi Yeon and her mother were shocked by the sudden outburst but Mi Yeon remained composed. 

"I just need some time, Father." 

He exhaled a frustrated breath and continued eating, not looking at his daughter for the remainder of the night.  

Once everyone finished eating, her parents left; her father to his study and her mother to her room. Mi Yeon stayed seated and asked one of the housemaids for a cup of tea. She tried to relax and not focus too much on the fact that her father wanted to control her every move. As she sat waiting for the tea, her phone buzzed on the table-top.  

She unlocked the screen to see a message from Seung Cheol.  

Seung Cheol: Are you busy? 

Mi Yeon: Nope. What's up? 

Seung Cheol: You. Me. Pattbingsu! 

Mi Yeol: Deal! 10 minutes? 

Seung Cheol: I'm already outside XD 

Mi Yeon: See you soon, then :P 

Mi Yeon jumped to her feet and told the housemaid to enjoy the tea instead. She dashed to her room and picked up a hoodie and checked her face in the mirror before applying some subtle face powder. She put on lip gloss that had a red tint and smacked them. She kissed a napkin to get rid of the excess liquid and smiled at herself in the mirror. When she opened the front door, she was glad that she didn’t meet either of her parents as she didn’t want them to question her late night rendez-vous.  

Once outside, she greeted the guards, who opened the gate for her without question and bowed in respect as she stepped outside. There, she saw Seung Cheol leaning against the wall like model. She chuckled at his attempt and he strolled towards her. He took her hand and together, they walked through the neighborhood towards the nearest pattbingsu store. It had been so long since she had pattbingsu; the last time was during winter with her brother. She was glad that she was sharing her next pattbingsu dessert with Seung Cheol.