After spending the night drinking tea, Solar regretted falling asleep before she had the chance to see the sunrise. I stayed up late but still didn’t get to see it, she sighed. She should’ve woken me up. She stretched and yawned before getting out of bed. I wonder if she’s awake.

“Byul-Yi?” she called, but not even an echo could be heard. I guess she’s not home. When she went to the kitchen to get water, a note on the fridge door caught her attention.

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I’ll be home late tonight. Make sure you get some rest and don’t forget to eat.

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Upon seeing Moonbyul’s message, she gave a long sigh. I guess I won’t see her till later. She spent her free time walking around the neighborhood, taking in the view. Tracing her hand along the wall as she walked, she pondered, Does she also take this route? A sense of loneliness lingered with each footstep.

She came upon a small resting area, a single wooden bench underneath a tree. The birds perching above her head were chirping nonstop, as if they were fighting to become the center of attention or had a dispute they couldn’t put to rest. She looked at the city in front of her, lively and bustling with sounds, however it couldn’t erase the sadness she was feeling.

After a while, she went home to make sure everything was ready for her first day at work. It’s almost midnight, she glanced at her watch. I wonder if she’s coming home today. She was a little worried, but knew it wasn’t something uncommon in Moonbyul’s occupation. I should head to bed. I have work tomorrow.

When she woke up at 6:30 the next day, Moonbyul was still not home but it didn’t surprise her. She got ready and left the house. It was a short taxi ride, taking approximately fifteen minutes. Initially, she wanted to ride a bicycle to work to get a good workout in in the process. However, with everything that had happened, buying a bicycle had completely slipped her mind.

Standing in front of the hospital entrance, she could feel her excitement overwhelming her. She had been looking forward to this day ever since she got back to Korea. I wonder how everyone’s doing? Stepping through the door she expected to see many familiar faces, however that was far from the truth. Even the hospital’s interior had become unrecognizable. She let out a long sigh before donning her happiest smile to report for duty.

After being assigned to shadow another doctor, she diligently took notes and attentively listened to her mentor’s instructions. At the end of the day, she felt as if she had gained a bit more knowledge about the hospital patients and staff as well as its departments.

Once everything was done, she took the elevator down to the first floor to head home. As she was turning the corner, she bumped into another doctor. The encounter caused the papers to slip out of her hands and scatter across the floor. He helped her pick them up, before she knew it, a smile was spreading across her face and they began a casual conversation.

“Seung-Ho Sunbaenim!? Wh—what are you doing here?”

“Good to see you too,” he smiled happily.

“I’m sorry, that was rude of me. It’s good to see you again.”

“I’m just messing with you. I started working here ever since I came back. My parents wanted me to stay nearby, so here I am.”

“You’re not happy?” Solar raised an eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t say that. It’s a good job. What about you? When did you get back?”

“Not that long ago. I also went to visit my family.”

He took a quick look at her. “Do you work here too?”

“Mhm,” she nodded. “Today is my first day.”

“Well, welcome aboard. I never thought we’d end up working together.”

“I know. When we chatted over the phone, you were always so busy. I thought it would be hard to meet up again. But—,” she smiled brightly, “here you are!”

“Miss me?” he teased.

“There you go again.”

“Sorry. Sorry. I couldn’t help it.” He chuckled when he heard Solar’s stomach growling. “How about dinner? On me.”

“So you can tease me some more?” she raised both her brows.

“I promise I’ll try not to. So how about it?”

Solar playfully pondered the offer. “Dinner—dinner—it does sound good.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“I am hungry—” She looked at Seung-Ho’s expectant face and softly chuckled. “Dinner does sound lovely.”

“Great! Can you give me a sec? I have to take this back to the office. I’ll be right back.”

“No worries.”

“It won’t take long!” He said excitedly as he dashed off.

Seung-Ho sprang into action and completed his task, running as fast as he could. He was eager to have dinner and catch up with Solar. Solar sat nearby to wait for him. Not wanting to make her wait too long, he made it back within five minutes. He held his sides with his hands, huffing and puffing, sweat dripping from his face.

“Did it rain?” she teased.

“Ah, why yes, it did.” He played along. “And what an unlucky chap I am,” he shook his head and sighed, “forgetting my umbrella at home. I must remember to bring it next time. Can’t afford to let you get drenched, can I?”

“There you go again,” she sighed.

“Just following your lead,” he winked. They burst out laughing. Before long, more than a few gazes were shot in their direction, so they had to tone in down. They were still giggling when Seung-Ho gave a gentlemanly gesture. “Shall we?” he said with a sweet smile.

“Let’s,” she motioned with a slight bow.

They continued joking around as though it were an everyday occurrence. However, in others’ perspective, they seemed as if they were flirting. They took Seung-Ho’s car, which was metallic gray in color. A small car that seemed to be on the sportier side.

He opened the passenger’s door for her, making sure she wouldn’t hit her head as she entered. They drove to a classy-looking building with an exquisite interior design. It even had a parking valet. The restaurant was on the top floor, encased in what seemed like a dome. This place looks expensive, she thought as she glanced around.

After Seung-Ho whispered the reservation name to the host, a waiter showed them to their table, which was located next to a window. From there, one could get a view of the city lit up like the night sky. It was mesmerizing. Solar stared at it with a smile on her face as if her soul had been captured by the city’s beauty.

It took her a moment before she realized that the waiter had handed her the menu. She felt bad for not thanking him when he did, but he didn’t seem to mind. Her eyes widened when she opened the menu to browse through the selections. It’s a lot more expensive than I thought.

She used the menu to cover her face and whispered to Seung-Ho, “Hey, psh, hey!”

It took him a second to realize she was calling him. He put down his menu and looked up at her. “What is it?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Do you see these prices?” She pointed to the items. “It’s really high.”

“Don’t worry about the cost. It’s already covered.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just enjoy yourself.”

“But it’s too expensive.”

“Would you like to go somewhere else?”

She took a quick glance at the waiter, who was waiting patiently for their orders. “How?” she whispered.

He pondered for a moment before he asked, “What about you? Any idea?”

It didn’t take long before an idea lit a smile on her face. She moved closer to him before she answered, “I’ll pretend to go to the bathroom and meet you by the elevator, okay?”

He gave a slight chuckle before he nodded. “Okay.” After she left, Seung-Ho turned to the waiter and said, “Please, excuse us.”

“Of course. Come back anytime.” The waiter bowed respectfully.

Solar already had an elevator called up and was only awaiting Seung-Ho’s arrival. When he got there, she yanked him into the elevator and gave a sigh of relief. He giggled softly under his breath at her blushed face. After talking for a bit about where they should head next, they decided on the night market.

The night market was lined with stalls on both side. Bustling with customers, it felt like a festival. As if straight out of a novel, lanterns hung above to light the street. If there was a river to enjoy one’s dinner on a small boat or watch the fishes dance about under water, it would have been perfect.

They walked around the various stalls and enjoyed the varieties of food for sale, eating until they were too full to take another bite. They also participated in a few activities, such as darts, but didn’t manage to win any prizes. Once they had their fill, they went to a nearby park, also glittering with lanterns, for a walk.

Solar watched the scenery of the night market and commented, “It’s beautiful.”

Seung-Ho looked in Solar’s direction and met her gaze. “Not as beautiful as you,” he replied with a smile.

“You’re teasing me again.” She sighed as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

“I’m not,” he stood in front of her and took a deep breath. “It’s been three years since we knew each other. When I left, my greatest regret was I never got to tell you how I feel.”

“Sunbaenim, I—”

“Please, hear what I have to say. Kim Yong-Sun, I like you. I don’t know when it started. I don’t know if I have a chance at all. Still, I want to tell you. Even if I’m not the one you’re waiting for. Even if you reject me. This moment still means a lot to me, because I’ve finally got the courage to tell you how I feel.”

Seung-Ho’s confession rendered Solar speechless. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before she responded, “It's not you Sunbaenim—it’s just—” she sighed.

“Please call me Seung-Ho.”

“Seung-Ho, you’re a great person. You can make any girl happy.”

“But that girl can’t be you?”

“It’s not that,” she held her heart necklace and rubbed the back of it with her thumb. “I’m happy when I’m with you. I do enjoy our times together. It’s just—it’s complicated—I’m not sure if I’m ready to be in a relationship.”

“Because of your past?”

“I—I’m just not ready.” Solar looked sullenly at her feet.

Seung-Ho noticed the sadness he had brought to Solar and that was far from what he wanted. He thought of a plan to break the tense atmosphere and bring back Solar’s smile.

“You make me sound like such a great guy. Handsome, gallant, and charming,” he teased, rubbing his chin. “Maybe one of these days, I can charm you with my other great qualities.” He gave an elegant bow, holding up his invisible skirt.

She giggled, “perhaps.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

As the mood lightened, a thought entered Seung-Ho’s mind. I hope that you can always smile like you are now. Stay strong, Yong-Sun ah—stay strong and happy. It’s my only wish. He wanted to tell her, but didn’t want his words to burden her. In the end, he kept it hidden in his heart.

A smile lit up his face as he thought of something that would completely divert Solar’s attention. “Aigoo,” he playfully gave a loud sigh.

“What’s wrong?” She raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a shame we didn’t eat at the Sky Terrace. It was all paid for too. Wonder when we’ll be able to go back?”

“It was just too expens—wait, what!? It was paid for!?”

“Yeah,” he sighed once more. “What a shame.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I did say not to worry about it.”

“How am I supposed to know that meant it was paid for?”

“Do you regret it?”

“Of course! My once in a lifetime delicacy,” she wept playfully and dramatically.

“There, there.” He patted her back.

They enjoyed the rest of their evening together, playing and teasing one another, before he gave her a ride home. She rolled down the window and enjoyed the fresh air as the wind brushed past her face. A soft happy tune was playing in the background as they continued their chat.