Maybe the night will change us
Maybe we'll stay together
Maybe we'll walk away
Maybe we'll realize
We're only human

(Perfect Strangers, Jonas Blue ft. JP Cooper )

She sat down.

On the outside, she looked like her usual cheery self; but on the inside, she had thousands of questions, but only needed one answer. She set the small bag beside her and cupped her wrist.

The little trinket felt so right.

But would it also be perfect for him?

He had made up his mind.

He knew what he wanted already. Ever since he realized that wasting time was no longer an option, he made sure he made his intentions clear. But him being him, of course, he hasn't said anything that defined his actions. He never felt the need to say anything.

But she was bound to ask.

As he sat down, drink in hand, he made sure he looked cool and composed. Otherwise, he'd probably be breaking down and unable to fuction properly. That was an exaggeration, but it explained how he felt. 

Looking at her, with the sun shinning behind her, he knew he made the right decision. He took the mudang's advice seriously. 

He wasn't going to let anything go anymore.

"Did you have a nice day at work?"

The question seemed like the perfect introduction -- at least in Sun Hee's opinion. Just three hours ago, Detective Lee texted her, asking her what she planned at three in the afternoon. Fortunately, she finished shooting earlier (thanks to their 2 AM call time) and really had time to spare. He asked if they could meet up at the nearby coffee shop without any explanation as to why they should.

It was then she realized this could be the perfect time to ask him about everything. 

Once they got in, however, he was unusually quiet. 

Was it because he was tired? 

He ordered his drinks and asked her what she wanted, volunteering to pay for it. While he stood in line, she had been coaching herself to just go for it. She had the gift and everything -- might as well go big. 

Now that he sat in front of her, however, it seemed like he was bent on becoming silent today. He did ask her how her day went, which ended up with her ranting about her assistant spilling juice on her and possibly breaking props on the set.  He just sat there, sipping his drink in typical Lee Hyuk fashion, dope eyes and intent. 

She hoped her question would trigger something.

"It was okay," he answered, "Stressful, but okay."

Then he returned to his cup of coffee.

That was it?

"Why did you want to meet up?" she asked.

He looked up. "Uh...to keep an eye on you, I guess."

"I have bodyguards now."

"I know."

"So why are you still here?"

He didn't look like he was caught off guard or anything. The detective gave his cup a little shake first before replying. "Do you not want me here?"

"I do!" she exclaimed. 

"That's settled then," he remarked, returning to his drink. Sun Hee, on the other hand, bit her lip in exasperation as she watched the Detective. How could he evade her questions like that?

She really needed to be direct-to-the-point. 

"Lee Hyuk."

He looked up again.

"Yes, Miss Sun Hee?"

She was staring at him beadily, gathering the courage to just go ahead and ask.

"You have feelings for me, don't you?"

The red straw was lost from his lips as he digested her sudden question. Sun Hee almost felt victorious as she savored the slight widening of his eyes and raising of eyebrows at her question. But she didn't feel optimistic either. 

She might be wrong all this time. That long silence of his was disturbing already.

After what seemed like forever, he opened his mouth.

"Yeah, I do."

Fireworks happened and not outside, but insde Kim Sun Hee's chest.

There, he said it.

It took days of battling with himself when it came to coming to terms with what he really felt for the actress. Actually, he already knew how he felt -- he was just, cliche as it sounded, scared. For a man who got cheated on twice, it was only natural for him to feel wary with these feelings. But then he realized that he was being stupid. 

That's why he said it.

"So, what will we do now?"

Wait, what?

The actress looked as if she was expecting that answer already. Arms crossed and that beady stare, she was expectant.

Of what?

"What do you mean?" he asked, temporarily abandoning his drink.

The actress pouted, thinking. "Like... 'Should we date?' 'Meet up regularly?' 'I like you.' When will you say things like that?" she demanded, "Aren't you going to?"

Lee Hyuk sat up. "Should I say that first?" he asked her.

Sun Hee's face looked affronted. "Should, I then? I'm an actress," she argued, "I'm already annoyed that I liked you first."

He stared at her and saw that she was really annoyed with her predicament. Those eyes of hers screamed: "God, how could I let myself sink so low?" But what caught his attention more was her claims.

"Who said you liked me first?" 

"Everyone does. Are they all wrong?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I liked you first."

There, he said that too.

The past few days, Hyuk had given himself, her, and the entire situation a thought. He wanted to know how he ended up in this "madness," as he fondly called it two weeks ago. After racking his brains and analyzing his reactions, he came up with the conclusion.

He liked her since Day 1 -- he just didn't know about it. When he did, he denied it. 

But here he was, confessing.

"That's my state..." then he shook his head, "No, that's my confession."

For a moment, Sun Hee was taken aback with his sudden revelation. He wondered if she would believe him or if she went brain dead.

Then, she scoffed.

"My goodness," she said, smiling, then looked at him knowingly, "Just a step too late and I might have liked you first."

Now he wanted to scoff.

Sure, that's what happened.

But before he could react, Sun Hee extended her hand at him.

"Give me your hand," she said.

What is she planning? he asked himself as he slowly surrendered both his hands to her. She smiled so bright, her eyes sparkling as her eyebrows raised at him. Sun Hee then got out a small box, opened it, and revealed what looked like a small bracelet. She took it out.

As she wrapped the piece of trinket around his wrist, he stared at her; there was a charm attached, he just couldn't figure it out. 

When she was done, she faced the charm at him.

"What's this?" he asked her.

"Consider it like a handcuff," she answered, then smiled at him, "You just stole my heart." She then pointed at the charm. "Do you see this?"

Hyuk stared.

"They call you the Grim Reaper," she explained. It was then he noticed that the charm was a small lion's face, bedazzled with a singular gem. Her little act touched his cold heart, but he decided to play his act.

"Isn't this a bribe?" he asked.

She bit her lip and leaned back, rolling down her sleeves. Hyuk saw that around her tiny wrist was the very same bracelet -- with the very same charm. 

"Arrest me, then."

Hyuk stared at the charm she wore, his feeling silently exploding here and there. 

For months, he struggled with the set of emotions that came whenever he was around Kim Sun Hee. He never really understood what was going on; when he did, he thought he was going crazy. How could he let himself end up in the same trap again? He swore that he'd never, never, like another girl again. 

It took a couple of life-threatening incidents, a stalker, Ju Han, and some gangsters for him to realize that running away was never the answer. 

The way she smiled at him, still holding her arm up -- there was something adorable in it, as much as he hated to admit. 

He smiled, closing his eyes as he admits defeat. When he opened them again, he stared at the beautiful woman in front of him. Hyuk set his drink aside, stood up, and quickly leaned forward. 

He kissed her.

After what seemed like an eternity, he forced himself to pull away, but his hands remained firmly on her face. He stared at her and saw that her eyes shined, cheeks flushed at what he just did. 

He couldn't believe it either, but he was happy. Too happy, in fact. 

"Is this our first day together?" she asked.

Before he could even react, she already pulled him closer -- sealing their new agreement with a second kiss.

It was a new feeling. Hyuk couldn't explain it, but he chose not to. The feeling of Sun Hee's sweet lips on his was enough explanation in the world. He kept his eyes opened as he kissed her, taking in her beautiful face. 

She was the only real thing in the world right now.

Content with his bold move, Hyuk closed his eyes, allowing himself to drown in the sweetness that is Kim Sun Hee. 

She couldn't contain the happiness she felt. She was sure anyone could see her cheeks flushing pink -- a furious pink, at that one. She couldn't stop giggling either, but she forced herself to calm down.

But how could she when she was walking down the street, firmly holding the detective's hand as she did?

She glanced up at him, hoping he didn't notice.

Walking, Lee Hyuk was always the look-straight-ahead kind of guy. As always, he looked so cool and confident, as if he didn't give a damn to the world. It was the usual stance he took only this time, he was holding her hand. 

He had a very firm, warm, and assuring touch. Given the countless times he has held her hand, this was the first time he held it for a longer period of time (and her life wasn't in danger). She bit her inner cheek, composing herself. Sun Hee couldn't lose control; otherwise, she'd giggle wildly like a little girl. 

But there was one thing she wanted to find out. 

Once they arrived at the middle of the local park, she stopped walking, jerking the detective to a halt. 

"What's wrong?" he asked her. 

Sun Hee looked up at him. 

"I'm just curious."

"What about?"

She pursed her lips. "You said you liked me first, right?"

"Yes."

"Like...way back when we first met?"

"Yes."

Sun Hee cocked her head to the side. "If you liked me before, then how come you were so mean to me?" she asked, "Especially the past weeks."

He stared back at her. "Was I?"

"Oh don't play dumb," she told him, removing her hand from his, "You were really mean. You always brushed me off. If you liked me, why did you do those things?" She crossed her arms and glared at him. 

Detective Lee was caught off guard with this question. She watched as he bit his lip and thought about it. 

"Hmm...I guess it was because I was in denial," he admitted, "You know me: I'm not exactly the honest type."

"But why were you so mean? Your coldness level soared."

"Because I didn't want to feel anything," he said, "I don't like emotions. I thought it was absurd -- these feelings I had for you. I figured that maybe if I distanced myself or if I brushed you off, maybe...I didn't have to deal with them anymore." 

He ran a hand through his hair. "The mean thing -- well, I don't know. Wasn't I obvious already?"

"What do you mean?"

Now it was his turn to glare at her. "Well, you were out prancing with Ju Han. How can you not expect me to not get annoyed?" he argued. 

There was something aesthetic in the way Hyuk stood there, the cherry blossoms right behind him, and the sun just illuminating his frustrated face. He was obviously annoyed and Sun Hee knew she had to do something about it. But she was too distracted with these confessions and his pout to process everything at once. 

"You...you could've said something," she said, breaking out of her reverie, "I mean, you knew that I liked you anyway."

"I didn't. Ju Han was there. For all I know, you could be liking him."

"That's true."

"So you did like him?"

He frowned. He looked like a wounded puppy when he did.

She smiled and tipped her toes to pinch his cheeks. "I did, but you were always the better one," she assured him, "If you weren't so mean, I wouldn't have to date Ju Han."

Hyuk held the hand that pinched his cheeks. The way he stared at her always sent shivers down her spine, now more than ever. 

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "You have to understand, I'm emotionally retarded. I've done this before, but I'm not as good as I want to be. I'm dead inside, remember?"

"But you're not now."

He smiled. "Maybe it's because you actually made me want to feel again."

Lee Hyuk's sincerity was as authentic as it could be; Sun Hee did not doubt it. The wind distracted her for a moment as pink petals from the nearest trees made their way, dancing with the wind. The actress just soaked in the moment: she stared in his eyes and took in his words. His short explanation made sense; it explained everything -- how he acted, why he talked like that, and why he pulled away. 

And when he talked about being emotionally retarded, her heart went out to him. 

She knew what he was talking about.

The moment was too perfect for Sun Hee. Despite the people walking around them, she felt like they were the only ones standing there. For some reason, her heart was exploding in happiness, which she found odd. It felt like she had been waiting for this since forever. 

Maybe she had been. 

Sun Hee cupped the Detective's face in both her hands. Without another word, she pulled him down again for another kiss -- a deeper one filled with meaning. 

It took minutes before she pulled away from him. She saw his eyes were a bit dazed, his cheeks red and everything. The actress smiled at the detective. 

"I'll bring you back to life again, I promise," she told him. 

Lee Hyuk smiled and held her hand again before they started to walk down the path again. Children ran around and old ladies gossiped, but the couple was too immersed in the moment to notice. 

So busy that they didn't see a pair of camera lens aimed at them from afar. 

Click!

A/N: I hope you don't mind, but I plan on diving into Sunny and Grimmy's relationship even further. Like you, I think these two deserve a better storline than just 5 minutes into the future. I have plenty of excuse to keep writing about them; after all, Sun Hee still has that stalker issue up her sleeve. But we'll learn more about that later. For now, I just want to paint the picture of these two all happy.

Also, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon just ended and I am empty yet again. Any recommendations?