Did he just say he likes me? A disbelieving giggle erupts from me and gradually it turns into a full-scale laughter. I have no idea at all. Should I be happy, or should I be angry, or should I be fluttered, or should I believe? 

"You find it amusing?" his must-be-so-soft lips twitch into a smile.

I bite my lips to control myself from my miserable laughing because a spark of tears are forming from my idle joyful laugh.

"I have never thought the smile of a girl would completely captivate my heart," he continues when I try to keep a straight face.

"Are you kidding?" my voice cracks.

"If you think it as a joke, then I will have to try to prove that what I said is true. And if you consider this as serious, then I am going to win over your heart," he says, determination shown in his eyes.

"You are going to persuade me?" I ask and he nods.

~Okay...~ Both my playful and my challenge modes on. "Give it a try then."

"Is that a challenge?" he mutters softly and I raise my eyebrow as a go-on-win-my-heart-then look.

"I like challenges and I hate losing," he murmurs looking deeply into my eyes. He doesn't even have to try. He has already won my heart. But my past broken feelings out of blue appear and give me instructions to lock my heart. 

"Goodbye, mongji," he says tapping my nose with his index finger once. The touch of his hand with my nose, skin to skin, shivers spread through me and his dazzling handsome smile takes my breath away. He turns his back to me and gets into the car stylishly. ~Jesus, he should have worked as a model~ 

The car speeds away and my eyes follow it until the car disappears from my vision.

I sigh and look down at the roses in my arms. ~They are so beautiful like him~ I bury my nose to smell their frangrance and in that moment I imagine myself in his arms enveloped in his scent. ~Oh My...~ Shut your ugly thought! My inner-self snaps at me. 

I flush like a red tomato by my own thought. I am really smitten with him.

It is eight in the morning and am now at the station waiting for the KTX to my hometown. It is Saturday! I have told my dad that I will be visting him this weekend. I miss my Dad. We have been in father-daughter conversation through phone calls and I really want to see him.

I scroll through some news on my phone while waiting for the train. Then an idea hits me and I go into google in my browser.

And I type,

'Lee Dong Wook the CEO of Dw.L techno company'

The google leads me to a certain page of his profile. I gasp. ~He really does exit in Google!~ I search through some profile of him. He is adopted! I gasp again. But no details mention. 

I scroll down and his photo with a pretty girl catches my eyes. She has a cute face like a barbie and a slim and nice body. He has his hands on her waist and her hands on his arms. They look like they are in the some kind of party in this photo. Who is she? Someone who he is familiar with? His sister or his.... girlfriend?

By the time, the KTX arrives and I quickly shut my inquisitive mind. I get into the train with heavy heart and settle myself in a seat. What if they are in a relationship? Then why did he say he likes me? It has been two days since I last see him in front of my apartment. Now I am on the train to Pohang leaving Seoul for two days! I miss him. My inner-self is weeping. But then earlier picture of him with a girl reappears in my mind.

"Aishh.... so annoying!" I utter in a low voice. I take a deep breath and rest my head against the seat and doze off.

After a two and a half hour ride, I reach at Pohang station. ~So nice to be back at my hometown~ I carry my backpack and walks to the Jukdo Market where my dad's restaurant is located. It is a 5 minute walk from the station to the market.  

I peek from the glass window into the shop. My dad is serving the food in person. I smile seeing him in his favourite tight pants all healthy and active like young.

"Appa!" I scream with childish delight and hug him. It surprises him. "I miss you so much dad," tears start rolling down my cheeks and I hug him tighter.

"Aigoo... my all grown up baby girl is here. Don't cry. I miss you too my little princess," he soothes my back, "let me take a look at you."

He breaks the hug and pulls me at arms length. 

"You look tired! Did you eat well? You look thinner!" dad scowls at me over his glasses.

"I am fine. Where are the others?" I ask looking around.

"Joong kook went for the delivery and HaHa is in the kitchen. We are all busy lately since the restaurant is flowing with customers."

Joong kook and Ha Ha oppa are my cousins. Since their parents death, they were adopted by my dad and raised together with me. 

"Let me help you," I say putting down my backpack near the counter and starts cleaning the table where the recent cutomers had left.

"Don't. You should take a rest," my dad protests.

"I want to."

After noon, the customers get lesser. I am about to take a seat to rest when the bell ring of our restaurant door resonates.

"Welcome from...," I trail of at the sight of person who comes in. "F**," I almost swear.

"What a pleasant coincidence Jihyo ssi," Lee Dong wook greets me warmly. I feel like my soul has flown away. He is wearing a denim blue jacket over a white T-shirt with blue jeans. He looks like a country boy-scout. Not CEO like at all. What the hell is he doing here?

"I am here for some business," he answers to my unspoken question.

My dad comes out from the reception with a smile.

"Oh... dad, umm, he is Lee Dong Wook. The CEO of the company I am working. Sir, this is my dad, Yoo Jae Suk," I introduce my dad to him.

"Nice to meet you sir," he shakes hand with my dad.

"Glad to meet you too, please take care of my little daughter."

"I am willing to do so sir," Dong wook says and smirks at me. What the hell does that mean?

"Please have a seat young man," my dad says friendly.

"It is okay sir. I am here to ask Jihyo if she could accompany me to show some interesting places here," Dong Wook eyes turn to look at my mong face. "Are you free?"

"Yes she is," my father answers instead of me, "go and show your boss to the famous places. Go... get ready."

And I don't even get a chance to say no. But my flirty inner-self is satisfied by the fact that he is here. 

"Let me show you around the Jukdo market first, sir."

"Just call my name. We are not in the company," he gives me a warm smile and I melt straight away. 

I show him to various seafood shops and he eyes everyone of them with surprised look. Has he ever been to a market? I gueess he doesn't. Why would he need to? He is a rich man after all.

"This is the crab aution," I wave at the large crowd gathering around the almost thousands of fresh crabs. "Our hometown is best known for its fresh seafoods as it is the main sea-port land in our country."

I bring him to our most famous place Humigot, a sculpture of a hand projecting from underneath the sea. 

"This is impressive," he looks at it appreciatively.

"Yeah, it is. It is the gathering place in new year to see the first sunrise."

"I have heard of it. But I have never here. Now I am really glad. Thank you," he glance down at me. Why is he thanking? He is the one who came here.

We are now strolling along the beach. I close my eyes and let the fresh beach air run across my face. The weather is unusually good today. Then I am scooped up from the sandy beach and in a nanosecond I am carried in bridal way by dong wook. Gosh!

"What are you thinking!" he laughs and walks towards the shore where the sea meets with the sandy land.

"Ya! Lee dong wook, put me down!" I cry out until my tonsil gets hurt.

"You calling out my real name is like a pleasant song to my ears," he says looking lovely into my eyes. I am mesmerized by his handsome-carefree-young smile. I can't resist him. I like him too. But I can't. I don't want to get hurt again. My heart is still wounded. I want the time to stop and pause at this moment. 

He bends down and pretends like he is going to drop me to the sea. It takes me by surprise and I wrap my arms around his neck tighter.

"Ya!" I chuckle and we look like a couple having fun on the beach. You are thinking way too much! My inner-self reminds me.

He goes back to the sandy beach but he slips and we both fall back on the sand. He on top of me and me underneath him. We laugh together like long lost friends are having fun together. After we are able to catch our breath, I see him staring down at me with those attractive eyes. 

"You look lovely," he whispers and he caresses my now red tomato cheek.

"Shall we go?" I break the magnetic attraction between us. I have to escape from under his heated gaze. 

He gets up immediately, turns to his back.

"Come I will piggy-back you," he says and sits on his heels.

"Why?" 

"I told you I am going to prove my word and that I am going to win over your heart."

How can he keep too much promises? I smile secretly and gets on.

"Is that how you approach a girl?" I ask, curiosity itching in my mind.

"I have never approach a girl. Girls came to me."

"Really?" I ask in disbelieve. Of course. He is the lady-killer and god's gift to women. 

"You are the first," he says softly.

The first! The first girl he has ever approached. Does he really like me?  He says women came to him. So how many? No... no... You should stop thinking! My inner-self warns me. You don't even know about him. You have to wait and see. You should not be fluttered 100%. 

Suddenly, I feel a delicacy of his lip on my cheek. His must-be-so-soft lips! On my cheek! He kiss me on my cheek!

"I am sorry. You are too cute." 

I become mong again. My heart rate races again. My mind flows into the overthinking mode again. The effect of his is so strong that my inner-self has to remind me again. 

~Please stop, you should stop doing sweet things. I am going to fall deeper.~ 

We arrive at my house and he puts me down.

"Thanks for a lovely Saturday. Please don't hate me for the sudden kiss early."

I just shyly smile at him because I can't think of anything else to say.

"Do you want to come in for dinner?" I invite.

"No, thank you. I have works to do."

"Where are you staying?"

"I am staying at the Western Pohang Hotel."

"Aww... Good night, Dong wook."

Then my father comes out of the house all of a sudden.

"Oh... I am going to wait for you so I come out," my dad says.

"Jin Hyuk is also here," my dad says happily and I am shocked at the mention of his name.

That ! What is he doing here?! I glance nervously at Dong wook and his brow creased. That is not a good timing.

"Oh... young man, please come in for dinner together with us," my dad says cheerfully. 

No... no... I am flustered.

"Dad, lee dong wook-ssi has some works he needs to settle," I cut in. I don't want to get stuck between these two men again.

"Works can be delayed," he frowns at me and follows my father into the house.

Double Crap!