Disclaimer : this is a work of fiction. Nothing inside this story is proven true. The plot is completely mine, but I don't own any of these characters. The set for this is year 2016
.

Moon Chaewon whined annoyed on the bed. Her ringtone had been blasting through the room since a minute ago, disturbing her perfect Sunday morning at the end of autumn.

It stopped ringing for three seconds, and the snippet from Kwon Jinah's 20 started playing again.

She groaned, finally giving up and leaving the cave of the thick and warm blanket where she was tucked in. She had left her phone on the dressing table by the far corner of her bedroom, and the fact that she had to take about six steps to reach it didn't help anything with her annoyance. If this was not an important matter, she would smack whomever head was calling.

She snatched the device without bothering to see the caller id.

"Hello?"

"Ya! What took you so long?"

World could turn upside down and she would still recognize this husky voice greeting her from across the line.

Chaewon sighed, looking down at her bare feet. She walked back to the bed with the phone close on her ear.

"Oppa," she grumbled, her small voice cracking, "thank you for ruining my peaceful morning."

There was a loud intake of breath she could make out from the other side.

Three...two...one.

"Yah, how could you always so blunt with me? Where is the sweet Moon Chaewon everyone talks about? You're only being like this to me."

She rolled her eyes, wishing he could see that so he knew how ridiculous he was being.

"Song Joongki-nim, if you're calling only to start a fight this early, I'm hanging up. Have a nice day."

Thought she was joking? No, she did, for real. She threw herself back on to the bed, lying down after disconnecting the call.

The device was ringing again just in two seconds though. For a moment, she considered if she should just ignore it but knowing him, he wouldn't stop until she actually answered.

"What?" she snapped.

None of them was sure since when their relationship turned to be that comfortable. She could actually be her genuine self, without any façade, in front of him without the fear or worry to be judged. She could do whatever she wanted, and he would still be there for her. They would stay there for each other.

She used to be really reserved around him when they first met, but as the years passed by he felt more and more like a close friend, a brother. He too, she was sure, often looked at her not as a woman but more like a guy buddy, just like Kwangsoo or Insung to him.

"Ya!" he wasn't yelling, but his words came out in a bit firmer way than before, the first sign of him sulking. "At least show me some respect, I'm still older than you. How could you just hang up on me like that?"

There he went again, attacking her with the order of their birth because he couldn't play the senior card since she debuted a little bit earlier.

"What's the use of it? When you badmouthed me behind my back."

He didn't, he never did. Often, she wondered why she said what she said to him. She was not the type to start an argument with people but whenever they were together she just sprouted nonsense. It was as if she gave up on thinking too much, like she always did with anyone else.

"When did I do that?!" His voice went an octave higher.

"Ah, I forgot for a bit, it's your fans who did it."

See? Why did she bring it up again when she knew he had been feeling sorry over it?

It was an opened secret, though she never really cared. Sometimes, she wondered, maybe she was secretly enjoying roasting him up about it.

"Ya," his tone softened, "do you want me to apologize again?"

"Are you trying to be funny?" She rolled on her side, closing her eyes. "Now hurry up and tell me why are ruining my precious sleep?"

He made a scoffing sound, and she felt like either strangling him or hitting him on the head.

"You're thirty-one years old today yet you're still sleeping in? Happy birthday, Lazy Penguin."

There was a two second silence and she was smiling, forgetting her previous plan to torture him. Her mood changed in a swift, so quickly.

She had messages coming in her phone since midnight and he was the only one, beside her family, who made the effort to call.

"You could just text me," she complained, yet it couldn't prevent him to notice the glee that surfaced in her voice. "Thank you," she added.

After all, it always felt good, she thought, to know that someone close actually cared for you and treated you well.

"Do you have any plan later tonight?" Joongki asked.

There was sudden change to his voice. It was a lower tone he used, a more serious one, and strangely it was making her felt warmer out of sudden.

"I'm set to have dinner at my parents' place. Why?"

Maybe because she was happy?

"Will you stay the night there?"

She tilted her head back to look at the ceiling. The light was still on, she must had forgot to turn it off last night before she went to bed.

"No, I don't think so. Why are you asking though?"

There was a coma pause. Maybe he was thinking, maybe he was in the middle of something, she presumed.

"Call me when you're finished, I'll you back to your place."

His answer made a line appeared between her brows.

"Why? It's making me uneasy. Do you have something to talk about? Say it now. Or come over now."

He was exhaling noisily by then.

One absolute rule about being Moon Chaewon's friend, don't ever make her curious. Tell her everything, or don't even mention anything at all.

"I can't. Hyekyo noona is having her 20th anniversary celebration today and Ah In asked me to come with him because he is invited but he doesn't want to come alone."

Her lips pursed into a pout, whining in a nasally sound.

"It's gonna be heated between the fans again today," she stated. "But, we can't help it. We don't have the responsibility to live up to their expectations all the time."

"I know, still."

The atmosphere turned heavy. He was feeling apologetic, she could tell, even without him saying anything. She had told him like hundred of times though, it was not his fault and she barely minded all the fuss between their supporters. None of them knew her or him personally and the nature of their friendship. They could speculate and made up stuff all the way they wanted, but the truth was always up in their hands.

And the truth was they were nothing like how they imagined it.

They didn't hate each other to death, or love each other to death either.

Or maybe they loved each other, at least she did love him, but not in a romantic way.

"Is that why you offer to drive me back? Because you feel sorry?" she joked, trying to lift his mood up again.

It was a success, immediately, and he was back to his normal tone.

"Why do you always wrap it that way?" he protested. "I just want to see you. I missed your birthday last year, we should celebrate it together this time. Also, you'd probably be drinking wine anyway and won't be able to drive."

Chaewon sneered, mocking him. "Oww, Song Joongki-ssi, what's with this sudden good deed? Are you going to use this to harass me for the whole year? Since you do something for me in my birthday, I better be good to you, is it so? Whatever, anyway, I'm all up for a free substitute driver anytime."

He let out a huff and she chuckled for the success of nudging in his temper.

"Driver!" he exclaimed irritated, but not saying anything to clarify it. "Alright, call me when you're done."

"Okay. Have fun with Ah In oppa and send my regards to Hyekyo sunbae-nim."

They ended the call and she crawled back inside her blanket. There were hours left before she had to leave anyway, she could be lazy once in a while, right?

.

Joongki took another look of the backseat before he stepped down from the car, making sure everything was perfectly covered by the row of suit and formal shirts he picked up from the dry cleaning. From the corner of the underground parking lot, she appeared together with an older woman donning a loose curly hair that looked like it had been getting arranged with a hairspray today.

The view made him rushed to them in hurried steps, approaching both ladies.

"Eomeo-nim!"

The lady welcomed him with a warm tight lipped smile, stretching her arms to give him a loose hug.

"Joongki-ah, it's been a while. I see you haven't been visiting us lately. Why? Is it because you're too popular now?"

At the remark, he stole a glance to the other woman, sending a signal for help. She blatantly ignored him though, standing there as if she was the most innocent human being ever born with her wide round eyes blinking like she knew nothing.

"It's not like that, Eomeo-nim," he refuted in a playful tone, knowing she was pulling a joke on him. "I'll make sure to visit you and Abeo-nim soon."

She broke out into a hearty laugh, liking his bright attitude as always.

"I'll keep that in mind, Child. Chaewon's father misses talking to you."

He gave her a nod.

"Sure, Eomeo-nim. Please send my regards to him."

They exchanged more small talks until Chaewon stepped up and stopped them.

"We should be going now, Eomma," she gave the lady a firm hug. "The night is getting high. See you next week."

Her mother patted his shoulder before bidding them goodbye.

"Have a safe ride," she said, "Joongki, thank you for taking her back."

"Yes, Eomeo-nim, then, we'll be going."

He followed Chaewon who had climbed inside the car after bowing one more time to her mother. He honked the horn before they really left, driving out of the parking lot.

"You're not drunk," he stated when they were out of her parents' apartment building.

She gave him a glare.

"I couldn't get myself to be drunk knowing you are the one to drive me home. Who knows what on earth you will do to me when I'm not conscious."

Joongki snorted, pinching her left cheek with his free hand.

"You're not drunk but you lost your mind instead."

One swift move, and his finger was in between her teeth. She bit his thumb, hard.

"YA! YA! Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Then stop saying and doing useless things and just focus on driving, alright, Song Driver."

He pulled his hand away before she could do something again. Believe him; she was capable of doing vicious stuffs. There was one time when they argued and he kept poking at her bad side until she got really irritated. She intended to give him a good hit on the shin but as he tried to avoid it, her kick landed on his groin. It was really painful that he thought he might die at that time.

She busied herself by switching through the radio channel while he concentrated on the road ahead. A melody of an old 80's folk song played through the small space, and she stopped on that.

"Ya, do you want to go Han River?"

Chaewon turned to him in a confusing slow motion. Her forehead creased as she shot him a questioning look.

"Why?"

Joongki shrugged his shoulders casually as if it would brush her uncertainty away.

"Just because? I think there won't be people around there right now since everyone is probably staying at home or joining the demonstration at Ganghwamun. We can get some fresh air."

She pondered, taking in his thoughts into her mind. Would it be a good decision if they go?

"Aren't you tired of hanging out in a closed space with four walls entrapping us? This might sound wrong, but this is one of the rarest chances we can get to enjoy the public space."

They were not ignorant about the country's problem, but they couldn't be open about their political views either and joined the protest. She felt ashamed to think of it, but he was right. She didn't like people scrutinizing over her private life−her family, love life, friends−so they had been really secretive not to be seen together. And this night was probably one of the rarest chances they could get.

The question was not whether it was a good or bad decision, but rather, if she wanted to go or not.

"Okay, Han River it is!" she declared.

This time, she did want it, because just like he said, she was tired of them having to meet in some limited location.

"But, if I wake up tomorrow morning with our faces all over the internet, I'm ditching you. I'm telling the reporter you are having a crush on me and you force me to go there."

She giggled and Joongki grunted on his seat.

"Wicked girl."

"Go, go!"

.

Joongki's prediction turned out to be nothing but precise. The park by the Han River that was usually swarmed with people was empty. Of course, who would think of hanging out around the place in this turbulent time? They were the weird ones.

"Let's take a walk!"

She asked him rhetoric question on how long had it been since the last time they actually could go out on the street without having to wear a cap or mask?

"Hmm, on the last day of our drama filming? Do you remember we went around the village while waiting for the filming to start?"

The muscles on her torso tightened up as she let out a chortle.

"That doesn't count though, we were working at that time."

He laughed.

"I know right? To think about it, I actually go around the public places just fine with my other friends. You see, they even published the pictures of me going for a drink with Ah In and Hyekyo noona. You are the problem here! Every time we meet, it's always your place or mine, but eighty five percent of the times, I am the one going over to your place because you don't want to bother coming out of the house. Can't you be a little bit more active?"

Her steps halted.

"Are you complaining? Then don't come if you don't want to. Did I force you to come? You are the one who barged in to my place all the time."

Joongki stretched his hand out, ruffling her short hair until it got really messy. She gave him a deadly look and he stopped, her head in his shot to straighten it back.

Forty minutes later, they completed a total one round lap of leisure walk around the big park and they were back to the exact point where they started. She was happy that she listened to him to come there, if not, she was losing such a pleasant experience she had not felt in a really long time.

There was a wooden bench not too far from they were standing and he told her to take a seat.

"Wait here, I need to take something from the car."

She sent him away with confused look on her face but didn't really take it too much into her account. She shrugged her shoulders and dragged herself to the bench. It was right by the track that was built for people to do jogging or cycling. Three meters in front of it was the rail guard that separated the land and the river.

She put herself to rest, occupying the empty seat.

On certain days on certain months, there would be a light show along the river. Fountains of water and rainbow colored lights would be presented on the bridge for fifteen minutes long. She suddenly thought of it, wanting to see it tonight, which was unfortunately, couldn't be fulfilled.

The absence of it didn't make the view any less beautiful though. From where she was sitting, she could see far across the river. The water was dark but the sight in front of it was contrasting, dazzling with the city lights. She asked herself, her future too, would it be half as bright as those lights?

A nudge on her shoulder cut her back from her reverie. She turned her head around to look.

Something bright showed up upon her face, blinding her. She actually had to squint her eyes and took a second look before she realized what it was.

She blinked, two times, and before she knew, the corners of turned up into a wide uncontrollable smile.

"Happy birthday."

His voice came out in a melodious whisper, but still loud enough to reach her ears. He was standing there, still in his black pants, black sweater over a shirt, and a black mask covering his jaw. Both of his hands were extending forward, with a box of birthday cake and candles that had been lit on top of them. A subtle blow of the wind passed by and the flickering flames swayed a little bit more.

"Hurry," he ushered, "before the wind beats you in blowing this out."

He rounded the bench to move standing in front of her.

He was about to tell her to make a wish but she already closed her eyes before he could utter any word. Her hands were clasping tightly by her chest as she pronounced the wishes inside her head.

With one intake of breath, she blew the candles off. It took her three hoots to take all the flames down because he had lit so many of them.

"I thought it was weird that you picked up the clothes from the dry cleaning on your own and hang it in the car, your manager is the one who always did the job. Did you hide this behind them?" she pointed her chin to the box of cake.

He showed her a silly expression, pretending to be caught in an embarrassing act.

"You were really clueless when we first met, now you catch on faster," he commented, taking a seat beside her.

"I've known you too long for not noticing that kind of small details."

Together, they plucked the candles out from the surface of the cake. She counted each stick, learning that he had actually put a total of thirty one pieces of the colorful thing.

"It's a carrot cake," he explained, "I told them not to put any dairy products into this, so it'll be okay for you to eat."

The cake came with a handy plastic knife inside its box. He produced it out and sliced it into some decent portion for her to eat in a mouthful.

"You're treating me so nice today, what is this? Perhaps, did you put poison or something weird in the cake?"

He gave her a mysterious smile, telling her to take a guess.

Her face brightened up as she took a bite of the sweet baked good. It was a simple looking cake, with nothing but white icing cream layering it. When Joongki cut the cake, she got a sneak peek of its color, brownish bread with chunks of orange.

She did not have any expectation, but it turned out to be the best dairy-free cake she ever ate. It was soft and moist and they didn't overdo the sweetness.

"Where did you buy this?" she asked, her eyes gleaming from the pleasant surprise.

"Not gonna tell you," he teased, knowing that he had done the right thing. "If you want it again, I'll get it from the store, and sell it to you thrice the price."

The upper end of twitched, she shot him an ugly look.

"This strangely makes me crave for beer," she muttered, after two mouthfuls of the cake.

She took another slice, offering it to him. He opened his mouth and she shoved it inside.

"Ya, there is no one other than you in this country who thinks of alcohol after eating a cake," he nagged with a full mouth. "Seriously!"

Without another word, he abruptly rose from his seat and disappeared again somewhere. She was once again left surprised. When he came back, he was holding two cans of beer and a bottle of sparkling water.

Her jaw dropped.

"Oppa, you're not sick somewhere right? I only said it without much thoughts, I wasn't telling you to buy beer for me. Why are you being like this today?"

Confusion was plastered all over her face, but he didn't give her any answer. Instead, he shoved one can into her hand and kept the remaining at the end of the bench.

She gave him a bizarre look but it didn't stop her finger to slip on the ring tab and pushing the hole of the can opened. She took a sip of the drink, while still keeping her eyes on him.

She swallowed the liquid in silent. Somehow, she was feeling uneasy but she didn't know why. He was not a stranger and it was not like he treated her badly all this time. He treated her well, like how someone treated a friend.

"What? Why? Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, noticing her contorted face.

She shook her head gently.

"I don't know. It just feels...weird."

Joongki sneered, ruffling her hair despite knowing she didn't like it.

"Ya, it's your birthday anyway, what's wrong with me granting your wish?"

"Is that so?" she mumbled to herself.

He couldn't drink because he still had to drive them back home, so she opened the other can after taking her sweet time finishing her first one. They let the silence took over them, immersing themselves in each own thoughts, staring far into the wide river and beyond.

It was comfortable, so much, just being by each other, without having to say anything and knowing that the other would understand.

They lost the count of the time until she realized she had emptied the second and last can of beer. Unlike him, she was not a light drinker. She was better at withstanding the alcohol intake.

But she had been drinking champagne that her parents served for her birthday dinner. She realized she started to feel a bit lightheaded, a bit tipsy.

Thus, she turned to his direction trying to find the mineral water her bought earlier. She found him staring solemnly ahead instead and suddenly the black mask that covered his jaw caught bothered her.

"Is the wound still not healed yet?" she asked.

He had accidentally injured his jaw while filming. Thankfully it was not a serious injury to begin with, but it left quite prominent wound.

Slowly, he turned to her with an unreadable expression, was still a bit unfocused after getting lost in his trance. When he finally caught on her question, he dropped his head, an obvious failed attempt to get a look of his own jaw.

"Well, the wound is healed by now, it's just the scar has not completely disappear."

She sighed, shoulders dropping low.

"You and your ambition with those action scenes," she grunted, "it's the second time you injured yourself already."

Joongki grinned, identifying the concern beneath her frustration.

"Eyy, you can't really call this injury though, just a small cut."

She rolled her eyes at him. Her mind got back on its track again and she remembered the reason that made her looking at him earlier.

"Oppa, where did you put the sparkling water?"

Her phone rang right as he produced the green bottle from beside his left ribs. She used one hand to fish the device out of the pocket of her blazer while the other hand took the water from him.

She frowned at the name written on the screen but slid the green button anyway.

"Hello?"

She pinned the phone in between her ear and shoulder while she struggled to open the bottle. Joongki grabbed it from her hand and effortlessly removed the cap for her.

"Yes, I know. Me? I'm...outside right now. Why is it?"

She was using her formal speech tone, quiet and really soft. It meant the caller was not someone she was close to, he concluded.

"At this hour?" she sounded flabbergasted, "oh, well, yes, thank you."

He shoved the opened bottle back to her left hand again.

Joongki took a glance at his own phone, taken aback that they actually had been there for long enough. It was almost midnight.

He started tidying up, placing the cake inside the box again and closed it tightly. While on it, he threw the empty cans away to the nearest trash bin.

When he returned, she had finished the call and was drinking from the water bottle.

Joongki took the box of cake, shoving it to the side, before putting himself right next to her. Their shoulders touched, sticking close.

"Who was it?"

Her lips drew out an amused smile.

Chaewon brought her head inching closer to his ear, telling him a name of a familiar actor in a whisper, as if anyone would overhear. In that short instant, Joongki's nose caught the mixed smell of beer and champagne in her breath.

It was distracting.

"What did he want?"

He snatched the remaining half filled bottle, hurriedly taking a sip of the water inside.

"He said he was nearby, asking if he could drop by. He wanted to give me a birthday gift, personally."

He smothered a mocking laugh.

"As if! He wanted to give you a gift, at this hour?"

Her nods that followed were slow, repeated a few times. There was no reason for her to disagree with the sub-meaning inside his scoffing rhetorical question.

"Right? He could do it tomorrow, or send it through a package."

Joongki swallowed up the remaining water till the last drop.

"Ah, I want to date too," she said all of sudden, "I WANT TO DATE TOO!" She was shouting into the air.

"Ya, ya," the bottle in his palm dropped to the bench as he clamped shut, pulling her to lean on the bench. Good thing he finished the drink, or it would spill all over them.

Chaewon started giggling uncontrollably. Her amusing sound of giggles rang in his hearing like a melody. He took a good look over her face and she had pinkish hue spreading like a butterfly on her cheeks and nose area.

"I know it, you're tipsy," he informed.

She tried so hard stopping herself, but the more she put the effort to suppress it, it increased even more. When she finally got a hold of herself and stopped the trail of giggles, she felt tired. Laughter and any form of strong emotion always required so much energy from within her self.

She heaved a breath noisily.

Naturally, her head rested on his right shoulder as she leaned more into the bench. It only meant that the alcohol had really gotten into her that she loosened up that much. He let her, mouth curving into a smile by the gesture automatically.

"Oppa, aren't we so pitiful?" She asked. "Everyone else is dating just fine, but look at us, stuck here celebrating my birthday."

Joongki reached the empty bottle from his lap, twirling it around.

"Should I just date him?"

His fingers movement stopped abruptly.

"Ya, are you that desperate?!" he said, clearing his throat. "Not him. Didn't you hear the rumor? He has a habit of hitting on all of his co-stars."

She made a protesting sound.

"Why are most of the men that approached me are either lame or a jerk?"

"Why are you being so dramatic today?" he teased, but soon turned serious in the next second, "it's better to be single rather than wasting your time with the wrong man."

Chaewon pulled her head away, sitting straight on her place. Joongki felt like something was taken away from him, but he was sure it was not about the weight of her top body part.

"In case you forget, I'm thirty one, you see, I'm old. My high school friend was giving a birth to her second daughter a few days ago."

He couldn't produce a sound to that. He knew very well what she meant. He had been to many weddings and every time, people always asked when would his turn.

"I see your point. Even the young Woobin is publicly dating. What are we doing?"

Silence enveloped them again. The stillness of the night and the gentle sound of small ripple from the river stood out at once that they stopped talking.

Random kind of thoughts came and gone into their minds.

"Ya, why don't we date?"

Chaewon was busy talking inside her own head, reminding herself to go to the agency the next day to review more potential project. She took in his words really late. At first, she thought it was a slip of the line from the script she read a few days ago. But she was with her manager when she did the reading, while it was Joongki's voice she just heard.

"What?" she snapped.

She turned so sharp her neck almost hurt.

"I mean, my last relationship ended when I was in the army. Yours ended around the time I got discharged. You got a lot of men lining up to get to your door and I went around to Kwangsoo's unsuccessful set up of blind dates. But, look, we are here right now. It just popped inside my head, why did we skip each other?"

The eyes that were looking at her were still the same dark and often mischievous pair of beads. But, why were they strangely calm and intense tonight?

"Eyy, what kind of non-sense are you saying?"

The disapproval was obvious in the way she knitted her brows together and the bizarre look in her eyes.

He joked a lot, and she had been trained to either endure or ignore even the most ridiculous ones. Just this one seemed like crossing the line.

"Why do you call my words non-sense?"

It irked him that she appeared to be really discontented by his words. What was so wrong with the idea? He was a fine man, himself!

"Of course it's non-sense."

She had brought herself to fully face him. He did the same, following her movement, his ribs touching the backrest with his right arm outstretched by the top wooden part of the bench.

"Would it make sense to you then? Us? Me and you? Dating?"

"Why?" he challenged.

Actually, it never occurred to him before, even just once. They were so close, so comfortable that there were no room for romantic relationship. Fastening heartbeats, blushing cheeks, they experienced none of that.

But, it upset him so much the way she talked tonight. Was it his manly pride?

"What do you mean why? Just because, of course," she stated, matter of fact.

"And what is the reason?"

"Oppa, look at us. What kind of reason do we need? We need to feel something to be able to date happily. But, us, even if I do this," she leaned in with a swift move and her lips touched his in a short peck that was ended with a loud sound, "see? There's nothing, I don't feel anything, more so you."

If he had to describe her at the moment, it would be a round eyed puppy waiting for her human friend to give her an answer.

However, the human friend had no answer to give her. No, he couldn't think of any answer to give her. He was having a hard time because of her. She didn't feel anything, and just like she said, he was supposed to not feel anything too.

Instead, a storm was raging inside him.

The moment her lips touched his, a novel feeling was unleashed inside his heart. It was foreign, yet familiar at the same time. It was like something that you had for a long time, but never really noticed its existence.

"Moon Chaewon, you just made a mistake."

He didn't know what was going on with him as his hand grabbed her fair face like a lightning. A part of his mind was asking furiously of what he was about to do to her. Another part was telling the other to shut up and save the thinking for later.

He put a break before their face crashed each other, the tips of their nose was only one breath away. His eyes bore into her widened one, mutely demanding an explanation of his sudden move.

Joongki blinked. He had a chance to stop this impending madness, but the next thing he knew his lips had crushed into hers.

Hers was soft, supple pair of smoothness that triggered warmth to spread all over his being. He had kissed her before, but they were too busy remembering the next moves and staying alert to the director's instruction to really feel each other's presence.

Chaewon found herself freezing on her spot. She wanted to think, to do something, or just anything, but the component of her brain had refused to coordinate. They were in a mess, frantic, probably running around the corner of her skull. Her heart was not helping too, throbbing rapidly inside her chest wall as if it would jump out of its place.

Joongki parted her lips without much effort while she was still dwelling in the shock. When his lips entrapped her bottom lip, it gently, she finally lost it all. Her eyes closed and her hands grabbed a handful of his sweater.

The orange lipstick she wore had no scent or taste, but she was sweet. Maybe it was the champagne she drunk before or maybe it was her, but he liked it so much that it made him dizzy. His breath was caught in his throat; he wanted more.

The kiss intensified with his attack that came out more aggressive and eager. He wanted her closer so his palms left her cheeks to her waist, gathering her into his arms. He broke the kiss for two seconds, pulling her to sit on his lap and she took the chance to inhale a breath before his lips devoured her again.

They were in a really compromising position. Her hands were locking his neck, while his were rubbing her back and side in a dynamic rhythm. At one time, his grip would be really firm, suffocating her. The other time, it was so tender and almost sensual as he sighed openly into .

The pace of their kiss turned slower and none of them remembered when she actually started replying. Joongki broke the kiss because her breath had started to get really short, but not letting her to get too far apart from him.

She felt it creeping inside her, a swimming pool of giddiness, as she tried to pacify her breath. Their noses were still touching, and every time she exhaled, it hit mouth and jaw area.

In the stillness, their heartbeats were sounded so loud and it gave her a sense of relief that she was not the only one who went through that. Gritting her teeth, she mustered up the courage to open her eyes.

She saw stars flying around, blurring her sight for she had kept it shut for a long time. Then, his burning beads came into view that made her couldn't breath. Her cheeks were flaming red.

She dropped her gaze to avoid the eye contact only to realize the mask he wore on his jaw had been pushed down to his throat. The scar was right in front of her and she impulsively retreated one hand from his neck, it at a snail's pace.

The gesture made his heart, that just got a bit toned down, beat furiously again. Joongki squeezed her ribs and kissed the tip of her nose.

Chaewon had thrown the caution up to the air and responded to it by leaving a gentle peck on his scar.

The muscle on his abs tightened and he pulled her again back to his lips. His nibble was lingering, persistent, and she finally let out a moan. All the other sounds of the world were hushed and there were only them; their accelerating pulse, the rustling of his hands on her blazer, their tongues clicking and each other's.

His conscience was screaming when his hand finally slipped under her clothes, stealing contact of her heated silky skin. She became tensed, but only for awhile and she surrendered again to his maneuver. But, thank goodness, his brain didn't skip on this fact even though it had been really fuzzy since the moment she touched him. He should end this, before they got the point where they couldn't turn it back.

He took a firm hold of her face, kissing her deeply for one last time, and then pulling them apart. It was hard to leave her alone after knowing how sweet she tasted, so he gave in once again, leaving pecks on the corner of , her chin, her cheeks, her nose, her eyes, a long one on her forehead, and finally the corner of again.

Joongki felt her hands leaving his neck, loosely falling on her lap in between her ribcage and his stomach. He opened his eyes first while she took a bit more time, soothing her heartbeat and mind. Their first eye contact after the consuming kiss was a collision of his unreadable and her puzzled gazes. Their lips were swollen, and when she noticed the gingery hue around his mouth that was obviously the remains of her lipstick, her cheeks burned red again.

She turned away, couldn't bring herself to look at him. But then, another realization hit her, she was sitting on his lap. With a hasty move, she rose up to her feet, stumbling and almost fell on her if he didn't catch her hand on time.

The silence around them was really awkward, way more uncomfortable than their first meeting in 2012.

"Chaewon-ah, I'm-I-no, we need to talk," he finally spoke.

She pulled her hand away from his grasp, folding them upon her stomach as if hugging herself.

"I know," she said shortly, inhaling a breath, "not now though."

She was actually shaking inside and it was only a matter of time before she could hold her own self any longer.

They should talk about what happened, they should sort it out, but she didn't think her brain had gained back its full function for them to have the right conversation. She didn't want them to jump to emotional choices.

"It's late, we should go back now," she concluded.

.

Joongki drove her back to her apartment. The ride was quiet, none of them were talking. He stole worried glances at her but she didn't even spare him one. Her eyes were fixed to the view outside the window though obviously nothing much she could see because of the darkness.

When they reached her place, she hurriedly gathered her bag.

"Thank you for the ride," she hesitated, "I'll contact you...later."

She was ready to leave the car, but he halted her before she could.

"Wait a minute."

He turned to the backseat, reaching for something behind the hanging clothes.

A bouquet of flower was produced out of it.

Joongki rubbed the back of his neck as he handed it to her. It felt weird giving it to her after all that happened in the park. Kissing and flowers, weren't those the thing that you only did with a lover? While as long as he remembered, they were best friends in the beginning. So, what were they now?

But, he had spent the ride thinking if he should give it to her or not. And his conclusion was the flowers should be handed to its rightful owner, the one he had ordered it for. Excuse or not, it would be really a waste to let the flowers wilted and rot.

"I bought this for your birthday, I-you know-you like flowers," he cleared his throat. "Also, you asked me for a birthday present, I sent it through the delivery service. It'll reach you by tomorrow. I'm just...letting you know."

Chaewon looked at him with a stillness that made him exasperated. He couldn't make out what was going on inside her mind. Was she angry? Was she hurt?

She took the bouquet, and with a short 'thank you', she left the car without looking back even just once.

He watched her walked away and disappeared behind a parked car, before finally slumping on his seat.

The image of the last look on her face and her retreating back came to him. Was it hurt inside her eyes? Or anger? Did she hate him for what he had did?

He wanted to curse himself, and if he could he would beat himself up. He never wished for her to get hurt, that was why every time a man approached her he unconsciously made her acted according to his opinion. If he thought the guy was okay, she could share her contact or arranged a meeting with him. Otherwise, the guy wouldn't even see the tip of her nose around.

But, look at him, losing his control, raving her like there was no tomorrow for both of them. He had ended up becoming the person who hurt her. What would she think of him? How would he see her after this? 

Joongki closed his eyes, knocking his head on the head rest.

"What have you done, you, bastard?!"

.

Chaewon had never hid anything from him, never felt the need to put on a show or covering her bare emotions in front of him.

Until that night.

For the first time, she didn't want to show him the real deal that was going on inside her self. And she didn't know why.

Her heart was heavy, stuffy with unexplainable feelings and emotions. As the elevator went up, her wall broke down and her hands started trembling. She had endured it for too long that her energy was all used up and couldn't even bring her to reach the living room. In the corridor, after she closed her apartment door, she collapsed to the floor. Her whole body was shaking.

The bouquet slipped from her hand, rolling down her lap to the floor. Her chest rose up and down as her own heart pounded harder, to the point of almost suffocating.

She thought closing her eyes would help to ease it, but she was wrong. As soon as her eyelids were shut, the overwhelming sense came back like sorcery. His arms that trapped her body, the taste of his kiss and his warm breath, his masculine scent, and the firm but gentle touch of his hands.

And most of all, she remembered how she had reacted to all of those.

Kissing him for the drama filming felt awkward. There were too many eyes watching, and there was no feeling involved. It was just a flesh to flesh moment, for a business purpose.

However, his kiss tonight felt...so right. It didn't feel wrong, and though she wanted to deny, she should admit kissing someone had never felt that good before.

She sat there on the floor for a long time. When she finally calmed down, she opened her eyes, feeling somewhat dizzy. The bouquet came to view and then she noticed, the flowers he had chosen. Pink chrysanthemum and peony, both were her birth flower also her favorite ones.

A drop of tears escaped her eyes. A feeling she had not feel for a while was spreading inside her heart, warm and frightening at the same time.

She realized it now, she had made a big mistake. She shouldn't start the kiss as a joke

.

Author's note :

Hello, it's been so long, right? Some of you, my precious readers, asked me to update The Progress of Love for Chaewon's birthday. However, I was really busy at that time so I couldn't find the time to update the story. Also, I have my own plot and timeline for The Progress of Love. Since the story is set in 2015, Joongki in the Progress of Love couldn't be able to celebrate Chaewon's birthday since he was still filming for the drama. So, I started writing this two shots story because I have always wanted to write them celebrating a birthday together. It's December now, but I still wrote this with the celebration mood in mind. I hope this story can cheer you up a little bit because I heard shipping life has been hard these days. But, remember, this is just a fanfiction, not the fact of what is happening with them. Just think of this story as a shipper's wish for her couple. LOL.

I'll update the part 2 soon. Part 2 won't be as long as this one, but I need to write it separately so I won't be rushing the ending. I need to give them time to process their feelings. So, see you soon, I guess?

PS : don't forget to leave your thoughts and comments because it will encourage me too when i'm down lol