“Chogiyo. Can you help me run away?”

The flustered and dumbfounded Hanbin can just nod and lets the woman in a wedding gown enter his car before he drifted off.

Her face was gloomy, as what he saw from the corner of his eyes. But, she has to admit that she is flawlessly pretty. The feeling like having a crush for the first time hits him and he, was supposed to be worried that he is with a stranger kind of glad that he gives her a lift.

“I’m sorry, but where are you heading?”

She asks and Hanbin glances to have a good view of her face before he shrugs. He was out to clear off his mind too. The stress that he is having at work makes him spend some of his idle time to go for a drive and that was what he does today.

“Do you have anywhere to go?”

She shakes her head.

“I can’t go home. They’ll kill me.”

“Oh.”

He responded shortly. Shocked as well. But he can’t ask her further. She looks like she will cry anytime now.

“He is married. A married man, and my family forced me to marry him so that they can live in ease without having to work hard.”

She said without him even asking. Hanbin listens to everything, slowing down the running of his car.

“They are not even my real family. They sacrifice me because I’m not related in any way to them.”

She continues, now he can sense her voice crack. She was crying.

Hanbin smiled when he saw the rest area is close by and he stops his car at the parking lot, turning to her before he offers her some tissues.

She looks beautiful even when she is crying. He nods as he admits that.

Naeun took the tissues with grateful. She wipes her tears before once again she apologized.

“What really happen?”

He asks when her crying subsides. He is never good with conversations and resulted him with not many friends. But somehow, he manages to ask a question.

“He came claiming for his debt and he saw me. He gave them chance to clear their debt by marrying me off to him.”

Hanbin can’t tell what he really feel sat the moment. He feels angry, and somehow a foreign feeling that he thought the need to protect the woman who was sobbing next to him.

How can they force her, just because they have no other way to clear their debt?

“You ran away from the ceremony?”

He asks when he remembers that the stranger is in her wedding dress.

“The police came; I called them before I walk into the church.”

She said it to him and smiled.

“I don’t know where I got the courage though. I guess I reached my limit.”

Hanbin nodding, agree with her.

“You can’t always give in. sometimes you need to rebel. You know, so that you can let people know what you don’t like.”

He said, smiling when she gives him her attention. She then shakes her head. A sigh escapes her lips.

“I don’t have the right. That’s what they say.”

“Your parents?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know why they raise me as well. You must find me weird to tell everything I shouldn’t to you. But I feel at ease.”

“Because I won’t tell it to anyone?”

“Will you tell anyone?”

She asks, her eyes widens in shock. Hanbin chuckles. The way she looks at him now is too cute.

“Of course not. I don’t even know your name.”

“Oh right. That is so disrespectful of me. I’m Naeun.”

“I’m Hanbin.”

“Thank you for the ride Hanbin ssi. I think I have to go.”

“With that look?”

Naeun looks at her dress and sighs.

“Since it always bore me to hell if I drive alone, would you mind to join me?”

“Is it fine?”

Hanbin smiles.

“Of course.”

And he starts driving again, before stopping in front of a shop, asking her to get down too.

“Why?”

She asks when she was out, walking beside him.

“It’s uncomfortable right?”

She nods shyly before tugging on his shirt when he is about to walk again.

“Waeyo?”

“My purse. I didn’t.”

“I’ll buy.”

He smiles and Naeun walks behind him, and holds his back. Hanbin turns again to meet her face.

“I’ll definitely pay you back once we are home.”

“Not necessary. Take it as a gift.”

“But.”

“No buts.”

He proceeds to walks to a staff and asks her to help Naeun with her outfit and she then soon changed into a more comfortable wear; skinny white jeans and denim button up shirt. She looks fresher, except from her hair that was still styled up in a bridal hairdo.

“Okay?”

He asks and Naeun nods a little. He then paid for her outfit and gave Naeun the dress that she had wear before. She took the paper babg and angrily dumps it into a trashbin outside of the shop.

She then pulls a strand of her hair before the bun comes undone and once again Hanbin looks at her beauty in awe.

“Done?”

She grins and nods at him.

“I’m really glad that I met someone as kind as you.”

“It’s nothing. I’ll help if my friend is in trouble too.”

With that, Naeun gasps before she bites her lips.

“I forget about him.”

“Him? Who?”

“Can I borrow your phone?”

He gave it to her without a second thought and she talks to someone after a few moments. He knows that she must call someone to fetch her that she told the person where they were at.

“He’ll come and fetch me.”

“I’ll wait with you.”

“Deh. Thank you.”

“I’ll buy something for us to eat.”

He said and went to a nearby vendor as he bought some fried food for both him and Naeun.

They are eating a burger, Naeun’s stomach still make sounds when a car park near them.

“Sehun!”

Hanbin looks at the blonde who walks towards them. He quickly went to Naeun, enclose her in a tight hug, making his heart hurt.

“Yah, why the need to run? You can always call me right?”

He heard the latter scolds her, more to worried scolding but Naeun just hugs him; hugging him as if her live depends on him.

“Where were you all this while?”

“Oh.”

She then pulls away from Sehun, but her arm is around him, Sehun holds her shoulder protectively.

“This is Hanbin ssi. He helps me. A lot.”

She said with a grateful smile and brings a sincere smile on Hanbin’s lips. He is helping her because he wants to help her. He has no hidden agenda doesn’t he?

The guy named Sehun then holds Hanbin’s hand in gratitude and thanked him as he removes the protective hug from Naeun shoulder.

“And I owe him this outfit too.”

She said, chuckling and Sehun quickly took out his wallet and Hanbin raises his hand, as a no gesture.

“I’m sincere when I help. If you insist me on taking the money, I’ll be very sad.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

Sehun quickly took back the bills he offers to Hanbin and puts it in his wallet.

“I have to say this, you sure has a big heart. You helped even when she is a stranger.”

Naeun nods.

“He is Hun. And I end up telling him everything. He listens just like a friend.”

She smiles at Hanbin, a genuine smile. Hanbin shrugs, hands in his pocket.

 “Now that you are in a good hand, I’ll leave.”

“Oh yes. And thank you again, you know for saving me and everything.”

Hanbin bows and quickly walks away from the couple without glancing back.

“Good job for falling in love with a wrong person dude.”

He talks to himself and rubbing on his left chest. He then taking the steering wheel and drifts away to his home.

A good thing he found Naeun today is, he starts writing something as soon as he arrived in his studio and even though it’s just the first time, he knows Naeun had tugged on his heart strings.

+++

Hanbin was walking into a ward, Jiwon was hospitalized due to food poisoning and he saw her, the one he helped last few months.

He still can remember her, her image is clear in his mind that she always appears when he writes songs. He then stops when he was nearing her. She is laughing with someone, her face lits with all the rainbow colors; that’s what he sees in her, in daze.

Naeun glances at her after a while, she just turns at him while she laughs but when she saw him, she went to him, after she stares for a fine few seconds.

“Hanbin ssi?”

“Naeun.”

He mutters, now out of his daze. She chuckles.

“What a coincidence that we met here, out of any place.”

“I know right.”

He said, looking at her face which is now brighten in happiness.

“Why are you here for?”

“Oh! My friend is hospitalized. I was going to give him some clothes to change.”

“Which ward?”

“Do you perhaps work here?”

Naeun smiled, shaking her head.

“I am volunteering. I can help you get to the ward.”

Hanbin accept her favor and she went with him to where Jiwon is in.

“Ahh. Bobby ssi. I was the one who helps him with his food.”

Hanbin had to shoot a look at Jiwon who smiles sheepishly, eyes gone.

“He was so weak this morning. I see that you are getting better Mr. Kim?”

“Yes Naeun ssi.”

He answers, scratching the back of his head.

“Good to hear that.”

She sounds cheerful as she said that and Hanbin was once again star struck at her.

“So, Naeun.”

He called her after a while and she turns to him almost immediately, smiles at him.

“Yes?”

“Can we talk?”

“Of course.”

Hanbin puts the paper bag on Jiwon’s bed and follows Naeun out, after clenching his teeth at Jiwon’s cheesiness towards her.

“How are you now?”

He asks after much hesitancy when they had seated on a bench outside of the hospital lobby.

“Sehun helps me get a room, get into a college too and now I am volunteering here as a gratitude token. Since he doesn’t want me to repay him.  This hospital is owned by his girlfriend. She said that she will keep it as a secret; that I work for free.”

“Girlfriend?”

Hanbin asks and Naeun laughs.

“That might sound ridiculous but yeah, his girlfriend’s father to be exact but it will become hers after few years. She is taking exam now.”

“Sehun is not your boyfriend?”

“Sehunnie? Of course not. We know each other since we were kids.”

“Oh I thought that. Well, seeing you being intimate with him.”

“That’s how we are. People misunderstood but it’s fine as long as his girlfriend doesn’t. She understands that we are close.”

Hanbin nods.

“So, are you single?”

He asks, rubbing his palm together in nervousness.

“Yes. Apparently.”

Hanbin then has to inhale and exhale few times before he got the courage. It’s now or never.

“Naeun ssi. Are you free to grab some coffee?”

He waited when she scrunched her nose. Her way to think he guessed. So he added then.

“Just to spend some time.”

“But I’m not free until dinner. So instead of having coffee, why don’t we go out for supper?”

“That’s sound great.”

She said.

“I’ll text you after my hours is up. If you give me your number.”

“Of course.”

He said, smiling ear to ear when he gave her his number.

“So, goodbye for now Hanbin ssi.”

“Goodbye Naeun ssi.”

He said and finally his grin grew wider. She is single and that is enough for him. He then break into a weird dance to show his happiness in the middle of nowhere, rubbing his nape shyly when people looking.

And from far away, Naeun is smiling giddily at Hanbin’s antic.

“So, you like me too?”

She giggles when she remembers what Bobby told him when he was hospitalized this morning.

“I had a friend who falls in love at a first sight. The girl is nowhere to be found but he still thinks about her. His songs are all about the lady and it’s good. Do you believe in love at first sight Naeun ssi?”

“Of course.”

She said before her lips curl into a smile.

“Because I fall in love at the first sight too.”

 

 

 

 

 

Done..

Sorry I took century to update…

Hope you like this one too…

Love from CherryKaiEun…