Her round brown orbs were fixated on the familiar figure, trying to see if it really was who she thought it might be. As if the figure felt himself being watched, he turned his head straight towards her. His piercing glare shot through the glass panel and she felt like it could penetrate the windows of her soul. It sent a cold shiver down her spine. His brows were knitted in a frown and his lips looked grim. So Eun was rooted in her seat. In a split second, the figure shifted his gaze and continued working like nothing happened. Was this the same man that had sat next to her in the flight for 13 hours? Soo-Hyuk-sshi? She unconsciously mouthed his name under her breath. 

"Hey Sunny! You alright? You look pale," asked Emma, concerned. 

"Huh? What was that? You called me?" So Eun faced her. 

"Yeah we've called your name a couple of times but you seem to be rather distracted. Is there anything wrong?" Liam again questioned. 

"No... I just thought I saw someone I knew but nevermind. Let's order!" So Eun tried to change the subject as she laid another glance on him through the glass panel. 

Dishes after dishes were served just minutes after they called their orders. A huge platter of sweet and sour fried sea bass sat in the middle of the table. It was accompanied by several plates of Chinese dumplings, stir-fried vegetables and cereal prawns. So Eun beamed at the spread in front of her. After enjoying the meal, the newly-acquainted team went their separate ways. The auburn-haired girl lightly smacked her forehead when she realised that she had forgotten to call Driver Park earlier to fetch her back to Aunty Sera's home. She quickly dialled his number. Now she'd have to wait for him to arrive, which would probably take about an hour. She decided to freshen herself up in the washroom before she exited the restaurant. By that time, almost all the customers had left. There was only one couple left, seated near the entrance still finishing up their meal. After rinsing and reapplying her lip balm, So Eun stepped out of the washroom but was stopped in her tracks. 

This....this deep voice. 

"Alex, what were you thinking when you cut up the mushrooms like this?! Do you want to feed the birds? These are too small, they look like MUSH. Not mushrooms!" the voice berated. 

She jumped when she heard a bowl being slammed on the countertop. 

"Now, what do I do with you Min! The soup you made....did you even taste it? It's bland, watery....has no character at all. Do you think we can serve this tomorrow morning?!! Ridiculous!"  

This time the tone of the voice sounded more resentful. The same voice continued. 

"It's not the first time I'm telling you, Chiang! The vegetables have to be thoroughly cleaned, not just dipped in water like that. This, I pulled THIS little worm out from the batch that you have already washed and cut! So now are you telling me that you want to serve stir fried veggies with worms?!" 

"I can't believe this!" 

She heard another loud clank on the countertop before a man came storming out from the kitchen door. He stripped his chef hat off his head and threw it to the ground. He marched past So Eun and went straight into the men's washroom. This time, So Eun could see his face in full view and it was definitely Soo Hyuk. She felt her gut curl up when she saw him fuming with anger. 

However, she had a strange feeling of curiosity and concern and decided to wait outside the washroom. Her ears picked up on the sound of water splashing on his face while he let out a long exasperated scream. Suddenly, he stopped. Dead silence. A moment later, came a loud thud on the floor. It sounded like he had collapsed.

"Nooo, get away from me! Go! Go awayyy!" a familiar deep voice echoed.  

"Please......go....away....." he pleaded.  

"Go....please...." 

Soft sobbing followed.  

So Eun was unsure what to make of the situation but she could not bear to hear him whimpering any longer. She peeked inside the washroom and caught his figure curled up at the corner; head buried in his knees. A sharp pang jabbed at her heart as she cautiously approached him. Her hands found his back and gently patted him. The coldness of his body scared her a little, yet he didn't flinch at her touch at all. 

"It's okay. You're alright. You'll be fine," her voice quivered in slight fear as she tried to reassure him. 

His sobs turned into heavy breathing. She watched his chest rise and fall with each breath while she continued to lightly pat his back. Slowly, he lifted his head and reached into his pocket. He fished out a small packet of capsules that had a prescription written on them and held it out for her to take. So Eun used to study pharmaceutics in college thanks to her family background. Even if she wasn't truly interested in the subject, she could tell that those were anti-depressant tablets. Looking at him starting to regain calmness, she shook her head. 

"I think you'll be okay now. You don’t need these tablets. You're strong, and you'll win this fight. Fight the voices in your head. Fight them, Soo Hyuk-sshi," So Eun assured him. 

Hearing her call his name in an assertive tone, Soo Hyuk jolted. His cold grey eyes finally met her brown orbs. A sense of relief settled over his initial shocked reaction and he could feel her warmth breaking down the ice that surrounded him. 

"It's...you.... So Eun," he mouthed.  

The exhaustion from the manic episode finally got the better of him but he still tried to form a small smile on his lips. He took another big gasp of air before his forehead fell in the crook of her neck. His hands lay by his side, enveloping her fingers in his. He felt safe.

"Just.....one moment..." he cried. It almost sounded like he was begging her. 

A strange feeling encompassed her but So Eun could not bear to push his vulnerable figure away. She stayed frozen. All she could feel was his uneven breathing against her body and her palpitating heartbeat seemingly getting louder and louder.  

When he finally returned to his normal state, Soo Hyuk immediately pulled away from her. He studied her blank expression. What just happened?  

He realised they were both crouched on the washroom floor. His black attire was wet with perspiration, partly tears. The part of her shirt that he had rested on also seemed to be slightly damp from his tears. The entire episode suddenly flashed through his mind once more in a blur, making his head throb. He stood up and steadied himself before offering his hand to lift her off the ground. 

Soo Hyuk was embarrassed but he had to say something.  

"I'm really sorry. I'm not sure what came over me, but whatever that happened, I hope you didn't get hurt. And uh...thank you. For being here," he spoke. 

So Eun felt her cheeks turn pink. 

"No, don’t thank me. I just happened to be here. I guess you were right, we did meet again," she replied, her eyes avoiding his gaze. 

An awkward silence fell between them.  

Moments later, So Eun's phone rang and she was thankful that it saved them from further awkwardness. She answered the call. 

"Miss Kim, I'm really sorry but I will only arrive in another 40 minutes as there is a slight jam on the way to the restaurant. If you don't want to wait, I can call a cab for you," Driver Park explained apologetically.  

"Oh it's okay Uncle. I'll wait for you here. Drive safely and call me again when you've arrived," she replied. 

"Thank you, Miss Kim. You stay safe too," he finished before they hung up. 

So Eun could feel Soo Hyuk's lingering gaze on her and faked a cough. 

"Um, I think I should leave. I'm not supposed to be here," she quipped and pointed to the male sign on the washroom door. 

She heard him chuckle before he continued, "Yeah of course, we should go outside. I'm sorry but I accidentally overheard your conversation with your driver. You should wait in the restaurant. We don't close till 10 p.m. and it looks like it's snowing heavily out there. I'll get you a warm cup of cocoa if you don't mind? It's the least I can do to repay you." 

I wouldn't want to wait alone in the cold would I? But to prolong this awkwardness? Aish what to do now? Argh I don't know, So Eun thought. 

"I...uh...," she started. 

"...Please?" he interrupted her. 

"….Okay, if you insist," she conceded. 

Soo Hyuk led her back into the restaurant and excused himself to go back to the kitchen. He entered the doors with a spring in his steps.  

"Okay guys, it's a wrap! Thank you for the hard work the whole day, you've done great! We'll clean up and close the restaurant early!" Soo Hyuk exclaimed to his team of chefs who were looking at each other blankly.  

Nobody said anything. 

"Guys, you alright? A little response over here...?" he nudged the assistant head chef. 

Alex looked around and nodded his head. The rest nodded their head in understanding. They started clapping their hands before unanimously responding "Yes Chef" although they were still confused by his actions. Wasn't he just furious with them a while back? 

One of them pointed out, "But isn't it only 9 p.m. Chef? We still have an hour of dinner service left." 

"I've got a guest outside so I'll close the restaurant once the two patrons near the entrance leave." 

The curious team peeped through the glass panel to see a petite lady sitting by the window and gave the Head Chef knowing smiles. 

He dismissed their speculations with a shy grin and went over to prepare a cup of hot cocoa for So Eun. He had initially arranged the marshmallow toppings in a heart shape but found it too cheesy and changed it to a smiley face instead. While calming his nerves, he walked out to serve her the warm drink. It seemed like his heart would burst with every step that he took. Her back was turned against him and as he approached her, he began to notice how her soft auburn hair elegantly cascaded down her small frame. How have I not noticed this before? So Eun caught his reflection in the window pane and turned around to face him. Her lips pulled into a smile. 

Soo Hyuk held his breath at the sight. He set the cup on her table and took the seat opposite her.

"I'm sorry again about just now. I don't really recall how it happened, and I just lost it. The whole situation's still quite blurry to me," he explained. 

"Don't worry about it, I understand. You've apologised enough," she laughed, "...this suddenly feels like déjà vu, except I was the one who kept saying sorry the other time. But are you feeling okay already?" 

"Yes I'm fine now, thanks to you," he admitted, his eyes meeting hers. 

So Eun blushed and diverted her gaze to her cup. "Oh...so you're a head chef? That explains the cookbooks and the notes you were writing in the plane," she sipped her drink, trying to change the subject. 

"Yes I am. I guess you can tell from my attire. I actually came to Canada to train my team of chefs back there," he pointed to the kitchen. "This is my newest franchise, and my first one overseas. I've opened three other restaurants back home in Korea." 

So Eun let out a small gasp. "Wow, you’re amazing! You don't even look old enough to be a head chef."  

Soo Hyuk sighed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head. 

Realising she might have said something wrong, So Eun continued, "No I don't mean that you don't look worthy to be a head chef. I mean, you just look so young....but capable. That's great!" Yeah, and really attractive too. Stop looking at me like that, Soo Hyuk-sshi. She couldn't control her running thoughts. 

He laughed when he saw her looking flustered. "Thank you. If you must know, I'm turning 25. So I guess I'm still young? To be exact, I'm turning 25 this Sunday." Soo Hyuk mentally smacked himself for revealing a piece of information she didn't even ask for. That's so uncool, Hyuk. 

"And you So Eun-sshi, why are you in Vancouver? I don't think you're here for a vacation, seeing that you took the flight by yourself?" he asked, trying to divert the attention from him. 

She smiled. "Well you're really sharp. It's funny, but I'm here for training too. I have a two-week training session here for skiing. I'm a professional skier." 

Soo Hyuk's eyes widened in awe. "Really? You're a skier? That's so cool. You're spunkier thank you appear to be!" 

"I know right? Many people are surprised that I even do sports. That's such a discrimination to us small-framed people. They think we're weak," So Eun sighed. 

Her phone rang once again. Driver Park was five minutes away. 

Soo Hyuk's heart ached a little to know that she'd be leaving so soon. He wanted to meet her again. He just had to. 

"Um So Eun-sshi, will you be free this Sunday? If you'd like, I could bring you around Vancouver. I've studied here before, so I know this city very well. Even if you came here for training, it'll be a waste to miss out on the sights of the city, right?" Soo Hyuk attempted to make a valid excuse to ask her out. 

Is he asking me out? Oh shut it Eun, he's probably just being polite. But I really don't have any plans on Sunday and I don't know if Coach will give us any other days off, she thought. 

She suddenly remembered Ha Neul's warning for her to stay away from men. Her eyebrows furrowed. 

Well, he isn't just another guy. I guess he's a friend, or at least an acquaintance. He seems like a fine person too.  

Thinking he was rejected after her long silence, Soo Hyuk voiced, "So Eun-sshi, if you're not --" 

She interjected. "Okay Soo Hyuk-sshi, I'll go. I haven't made any plans for Sunday yet and you're right, I should enjoy the sights while I'm here." 

"That's great!" he exclaimed, sounding a bit too excited. 

So Eun was sure she heard his deep voice go one octave higher. She grinned. 

They exchanged phone numbers and just in time, Driver Park's blue sedan pulled up by the entrance. Soo Hyuk walked her to the door and whispered, "Thank you, So Eun-sshi, till we meet again." 

She nodded and waved goodbye before disappearing into the car. Till we meet again.