"Maki!" he called.

     I shuddered at the sound of his voice. It was full yet tender. There was an authority and, at the same time, longing. Or maybe it was just me. It was just me, imagining things? It was just me, wanting him to long for me? It could be both.

     As I was about to take the first out of the three steps up to the building's entrance, I felt a firm grip on my left hand. My heart began pounding.

     Should I turn around and face him?

     But I don't want to see his face.

     The glimpse of it that lasted for a split second was enough to rekindle the anger that had ruled over me for the past few months. I owe to him the happiest I have ever been, though as evanescent as a rainbow, but how he broke me into little pieces is what I will remember for the rest of my life.

     But I lost to my own self anyway.

     That split second was not enough to satisfy my yearning, something I could no longer deny, for months. Heck, I wanted to see his face more than anything.

     I turned around. I tried to remain stolid with all my might.

     I am an actress. Acting fine on the outside should be a piece of cake.

     His eyes widened at the sight of me, and for a minute there, I thought I saw sadness in them.

     He opened his mouth to say something but there was a stutter at first. "O, mianhaeyo. Naega aneun dareunsaraminjul aranneyo," (Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone I know,) he said finally.

     I was dumbfounded. But I thought I saw relief in his eyes. Was he relieved that it was not me? But, heck, it was me! Does he seriously not recognize me!?

     My skin became only a tad bit fairer. Most of my pimple marks vanished but there were still visible ones. How could he not recognize me? I still looked the same!

     I blinked away the tears that was trying to escape. I wanted to run away. I wanted to escape and cry. The humiliation was too much for me. But I could not bring myself to turn my back to him either, the same thing he so easily did to me.

     He released me from his grip and a slightly worried face replaced his expression. "Keundae, anchuwoyo?" (But, don't you feel cold?)

     I shook my head and looked down to avoid making contact with his eyes because I could no longer prevent myself from crying. I honestly did not feel cold at all. The only thing I could feel was the aching in my chest.

     He was hesitant at first to leave me but he did anyway. I held myself back from watching him walk away because that would become all too familiar.

     I turned around to walk back inside the building but I collapsed to my knees immediately after. I could not even feel the cold floor. My eyes hurt as I held my tears back. I then heard a car driving away.

     Why now? I'm still in the process of forgetting you and I have finally found people who would help me do so, but why do you have to ruin it in just a matter of five minutes? Just how do you do that?

     And what am I going to do now? I don't have money. I don't have keys. I don't have anything with me. How pathetic have I become?

     My self-pitying was halted when I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Gwaenchanhayo?" I heard a man's voice ask.

     "Ye," I wanly answered without turning to see who it was. "Nan gwaenchanhayo."

     "Maki?" the man asked.

     "Ye?" I answered absentmindedly. "Ye!?" I turned around and saw a Myungsoo with furrowing eyebrows.

     "Wae yeogi isseo? Anchuwo?" (Why are you here? Aren't you feeling cold?) he asked with a voice colder than the blow of the wind.

     "Keuge.. Sashileun.. Nan baegopayo." (That's.. Actually.. I'm hungry.) I buried my face in my open palms resting on my knees. My crouching position was starting to numb my feet.

     "Keuraeseo?" (So?)

     "Domanggasseoyo," (I ran away,) I replied in embarrassment.

     "Mwo?"

     I bowed my head lower in hopes that by doing so, I would eventually reach the ground and bury myself to avoid further humiliation.

     But to my surprise, he took off his trench coat and wrapped me with it. His scent was still lingering.

     I lifted my head to thank him supposedly but I did not know how to. "Keundae, wae yeogi isseoyo?" I instead asked as he helped me stand up.

     "Nan domanggasseo. Neo cheoreom." (I ran away. Like you." He avoided looking to my eyes when he uttered those words. So much for scolding me, eh?

     Ever since we started working together, he had been extra caring around me. He acted like an older brother who would take care of me at the set when he could.

     He fixed the coat he wrapped me with that kept opening on the front. The neckline was too low so it could not properly shield my front body from the cold. He then got irritated.

     "Waeyo?" I asked timidly.

     "Neo! Don't do this again, okay?" His sharp eyes started to scare me. If eyes could kill, I'd probably be in my deathbed right now.

     "Yes, father," I agreed anyway.

     He pulled me closer to him. At first, I thought he was going to hug me, which caused me to look at him in utter surprise, but he was actually just going to reach for the coat's belts hanging loosely at the back. He then tied them to keep it from opening.

     "Nan ni appa aniya," (I'm not your father,) he reiterated. "Oppa," he cleared. "Ni oppaya." (Your big brother.)

     I snorted at how it sounded very cheesy and childish. I could not help it.

     Infinite's L? The most famous for his smirks that can kill girls right in an instant? Wants to act as my big brother?

     Wow. I do not know what to feel.

     Almost immediately after, I was met with a cocked eyebrow. "Wae unneungeo?" (Why are you laughing?) He sounded like if I hit one more of his nerves, I'd definitely regret it for the rest of my life.

     "Amugeotdo," I replied quickly and then pursed my lips. "Je baeneunyo?" (What about my stomach?) I tried shifting the topic back to the matter at hand. "Nan neomu baegopayo," I complained, prolonging the last syllable a bit to sound convincing. "...oppa."

     My addition of 'oppa' at the end was my attempt to mock him but the reaction I got was only his notorious smirk.

     He then took me to the nearest convenience store, which was only a few buildings away. We walked side by side with the street lamps the only ones to witness our escapade.

     "You still feeling cold?" he suddenly asked, breaking the silence that had previously engulfed us.

     "Not really. Thanks for the coat," I answered.

     "Good. Because I feeling cold," he guilt-trips.

     "First, it should be 'I am feeling cold' and no, I won't give you your coat back. That's the price for pretending to be a gentleman." I finished my sentence with a smirk and then took off. I entered the convenience store and let the door swing shut to his face.

     "Daedanhada. It's not yet too late to treat nicely the one with the money."

     "Ye?" I asked as I did not understand his second sentence.

     "Amugeotdo," (Nothing,) he replied with a shrug.

     The sight of food almost made my eyes pop out of their sockets. The struggle to withhold the growl my stomach was trying to make heightened by the minute. I immediately picked up a cup of instant ramyun from the shelves and then a small pack of kimchi from the fridge as I could not hold it in any longer.

     I brought them to the cashier and looked at L who had his own stash of food in his hands. I then gave him a bashful smile.

     "Wae? Nan gentleman anijanha," (Why? I'm not a gentleman,) he responded. He leaned in closer and whispered to my face, "Pay. Your. Own. Food."

     I knew I should have treated him nicely.

     I glowered at him and took a step back. I went to shove everything back to their respective places. Without giving him any attention, I walked out of the store and sat outside. I lay my head down on the table facing away from the store, becoming totally unaware of L's whereabouts inside and what he was doing.

     My hunger grew by the minute and I was already starting to chew on my thumb. My stomach rumbled once again.

     After a few minutes, I heard the seat opposite me being dragged a little away from and stuff being set on the table. Slowly, I lifted my head and stole a glance. Our eyes met. I immediately regretted doing so as I was met with his signature smirk. I scowled.

     "Meokja," (Let's eat,) he then said as he sat down and proceeded to munch on his chips and ramyun.

     I just stared at him snacking on his food and swallowed as he did.

     He stopped and asked, "Anmeogeo?" (You're not going to eat?)

     I gulped and slowly reached for the other ramyun. He then started eating again. "Kimchineunyo?" (The kimchi?) I asked.

     Upon hearing what I said, he stopped and stared at me in a way that sent chills down my spine. I pursed my lips in regret and said, "Jal meokkessseumnida." (I will eat well.)

     The hot ramyun was just on time as I already started feeling cold. My feet, as good as bare, slowly began to feel numb.

     After filling our stomachs, we stood by the curb silently, neither of us willing to start the conversation. He scratched the tip of his nose as he looked around. Does he always go around like this? He was not wearing anything to disguise himself. Well, there was no one around. Also, the neighborhood had no night life whatsoever.

     "Neon eodieseo jameul geosinga?" (Where will you sleep?) he then asked without looking.

     It actually made me look at him in surprise as the horror dawned on me. Where the hell will I sleep and how will I go back, just in time for the first task on my schedule?

     He returned my stupefied look with a mocking smirk and it took a lot of strength in me to hold myself back from strangling him. Does he ever stop?

     "Mollayo!" (I don't know!) I answered and glowered at him. "Waeyo? Neon narang jago shipeoyo?" I was completely in a chafe and the words just came right out of my mouth before my brain could comprehend the possible repercussions.

     He, in turn, stared in bewilderment. It was then his turn to be stupefied.

     Well, guess what, mister. Revenge is best served in a cold winter night and no one but the convenience store's old man cashier was around. Or not.

     I heard him breathe out and then said in dead malice, "Joha. Kaja." (Alright. Let's go.)

     "Eh!?" Is this his revenge for my revenge?

     He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand. He dragged me back to the store where he purchased two cheap pair of sunglasses and two black knitted beanie with a ball of fake animal fur on top. Meanwhile, I trailed behind, completely clueless of what he was doing.

     "Wear these," he ordered when we got out.

     "Keundae wae?" (But why?) But I did anyway.

     We walked side by side toward a busier street. Shortly after, he hailed a cab. Meanwhile, I was being obedient and remained silent as he instructed the cab driver where to go.

     "Where are we going?" I asked when we finally took off.

     "Sleep," he replied.

     After a while, we arrived at a sketchy building. I removed my sunglasses and turned to look at him with questioning eyes.

     "You said you want to sleeping with me," he answered in an adorable accent before entering the building.

     "Nongdam ieosseoyo," (It was a joke,) I cleared but I followed him inside anyway.

     "Too late now."

     After talking to the clerk behind the translucent glass, he handed her money through the space below it. I was left clutching on my coat and fiddling with it in nervousness. Are we really going to sleep together?

     Oh, God, please, no. He's handsome and all but I would never wish to sleep with him. What if I snore? What if I look way uglier when asleep? What if I drool?

     His tap on my shoulder was enough to make me jump out of my skin and shout, "Andwae!" (No!)

     "I already rent a room. Too late, okay?" he answered. "They don't have a room with two rooms. Sorry."

     Realizing that there was no way out, I left for the elevator. He joined me shortly after and pressed the button corresponding to the floor where our room was located.

     Silence.

     Second floor.

     Silence.

     Third floor.

     More silence.

     Fourth floor.

     I walked out of the elevator shaft as soon as it opened. It was getting more awkward and I was afraid that the silence would enable him to hear my heart, beating like there was no tomorrow.

     When I did not hear footsteps following me, I stopped. "You said it was too late, so come on, okay? So what if we share a room? No big deal," I stated without turning around, expecting him to follow my steps immediately after.

     When there was no reply, I turned around, starting to lose patience. "What now?" I asked.

     He was just standing right in front of the elevator with a smug face.

     "Wipe that smug off of your face or else-"

     "This way," he said, pointing to his right. His face turned bright red as he stifled a laugh.

     "Right. Right. Alright," I dismissed, acting like nothing happened to hide my embarrassment.

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By the way, let me know if my translations are incorrect. I only learned very basic Korean and just pieced together on my own the grammar rules for more complex sentences from watching Korean dramas, so please do let me know if they're extremely awful. Lol. Thanks! :D