I stood in the subway underneath the streets of Seoul. Glancing at my watch slightly, I gripped the handhold as the train made its way through the tunnel. Personally, I liked taking the subway. Part of the reason why I enjoyed it was because I liked watching people, making up stories in my head about who they were and where they were going. There were so many different kinds of people that took the subway, as if there was a new one every day, and my creative imagination would run wild.

There were a lot of people on the subway. I found myself squeezed between two people as the door opened to let in a few more passengers. It was a good thing that I wouldn’t be on too long, the crowd would make anyone feel claustrophobic. Checking my watch again, I figured I had two minutes until the train will reach my destination. Pulling my bag tighter on my shoulder, I started to look for a way to get out of the crowd when the doors would open.

Before I could take a step, I felt a hand grab my free one, and I jumped. Looking up, my eyes fell on a tall, blonde man. His hair was slightly longer than it should have been, brushing the top of the collar of his beige trench-coat. He was tall and slightly intimidating, his large hand gripped mine so tightly that I couldn’t pull away. I frowned, “ Um, excuse me-“

“ Play along. I’m being followed. “

“ Um-“

“ Please. “

When he said “ please “, it caught my attention. I glanced over at him as he gazed back, and found myself lost in his brown eyes. They seemed deep and endless, and only when he looked away did I find myself able to look away. The subway grew closer to my stop, I glanced nervously back at him.

“ My stop is next.”

The train slowed, and he shoved me outside with the rest of the crowd. Taking off his coat, I found the beige material pulled over the top of my head, hiding my face from any potential onlookers. Despite the fact that I was standing on the platform outside of the train , he stood only a foot away from the subway.

“ It’s raining outside, take this and keep dry. “

I was confused, especially when the large coat was pulled over the top of my head.

“ Make sure that you leave quickly and go straight home. They’ll follow me for a while, and I’ll lead them away. “

“ What is- “

Pulling the coat closer over my head, he leaned over and kissed me. Anybody watching would have assumed we were dating, or lovers, or in some sort of relationship. His mouth played gently over mine, parting my lips, and my eyes slid closed as I tasted him. He tasted like mint, I smelled like ceder and spring rain. There was a beep of warning from the subway, alerting to the crowd that the doors would be closing soon, and he eased away. I stared at him with wide eyes as he stepped backward into the train. He had been wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and jeans under the coat.

“ Thank you. “ He murmured to me.

 

 

My mouth was still gaping at him, and the smile he gave me was a sad. The doors shut, and I watched as the train shot off down the tunnel.

For a few moments I simply stood on the platform and stared, holding the jacket tightly around me. Part of me really didn’t know what to do, but I was surprisingly not bothered by the fact that some stranger in the subway had just kissed me. I finally willed myself to turn around, and walked up the steps towards downtown Seoul. It was raining so hard, that I pulled the coat tighter.

It smelled like him

With a sigh, I headed back to my apartment.

 

The alarm went off on Saturday morning, and I cursed and slammed the button. Usually, I would remember to turn off the alarm and sleep in on Saturday, but I had forgotten. Sitting up, I realized I was too awake to go back to bed, and just got up.

The coffee pot was bubbling, and I glanced over at the chair in the kitchen to see the beige coat. I hadn’t known what to do with it when I reached my apartment, and I figured I would set it aside and think about it tomorrow morning. I walked over to it with my cup of coffee, and looked through the pockets. There really wasn’t anything that would help me as far as figuring out who the owner was, and I sat down at the table across from it, sipping my coffee.

I couldn’t just keep some strange man’s jacket.

Who was he? My brain started to wonder a bit. Who had he been running from? His casual clothes told me that he was either dressed for comfort or easy movement. He could have been running from an estranged ex, or an overzealous girlfriend. He could have been on the run from some sort of criminal, or a secret agent in a hurry to stop a disastrous crime. The point of covering my head with the jacket? To hide my face from someone who might do ill to me if they saw me with him.

The kiss however confused me. Had it been  cover or a distraction? He had needed someone to think  that he wasn’t alone, that he was just some guy escorting his girlfriend in the subway. What was the point of putting the jacket on my head? To protect me from the rain .

It was early in the morning, but the rain was still going. Listening to the patter on the windows was soothing, and I found myself sinking down into the chair and biting on  the edge of my coffee cup.

On Monday, I stood in the subway once again, holding onto the metal pole. The crowd was just as big as it always was, I found myself pressed against the pole. There were still a good number of stops before mine, so I didn’t really care about being buried in he middle of the sea of people. Work on Monday was always hard, and I found myself wishing that I had a cup of coffee with me. The subway stopped at the next platform, and I tripped slightly as someone bumped into me.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around me, and pulled me steady, a hand wrapping over mine on the pole.

Turning my head, I found myself staring into the same pair of brown eyes of the man who kissed me and left his coat with me. Today he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of faded jeans that fit him nicely. His blonde hair was still slightly dishevelled as if the wind has combed through it. One of his arms still banded around my waist, holding me tightly as the subway shook.

 

There was a small smile on his face as I stared at him.

“ Hi, “ I managed to grind out, even though my mind had froze and I could barely breathe.

“ Hi.”

Neither one of us said anything, just stared a one another. The train came to my stop, and he let go of me. I couldn’t bring myself to leave yet, so I stood on the other side of the threshold, and stared back at him. I had thirty seconds before the doors close.

“ I have you coat.” I called back over the crowd.

“ Hold onto it for me, “ he replied back.

I gave him a unsure look, “ It’s really a nice coat. “

“ It’s fine, I’ve got others. “

There was a warning beep, signalling that there would be ten seconds before the doors would close. I opened my mouth to say something, even though I had no idea what it was. Before I could make a sound, he leaned forward and kissed me.

It wasn’t rushed like the other one, and he wasn’t tense. His strong hands lay on the sides of my face as his mouth lazily captured mine, tasting me, his fingers tangling in my straight , dark hair. I reached forward to try and touch him, but there was a loud tone that told me the subway doors were closing. He pulled away, leaning back into the train car. I stared in a daze as the doors started to close.

“ Mina! “ I screamed my name at him over the roar of the other subway trains and the crowd of travellers. The doors closed and I stared at him through the glass, there was a surprised look on his face as the train shot off down the track.

I had trouble concentrating at work for the rest of the day.

 

My alarm went off on Wednesday morning.

It had been a couple of days since I had seen the man on the train. I dreamed about seeing him, and about kisses in on the platform. His beige coat was hanging on one of the hooks next to the front door of my apartment, along with my other coat. Standing in the kitchen in a big sweater, sweat pants, and a robe, I stared at it from across the room. I held a cup of coffee in my hands, and simply stared.

Who was he?

A prince from a foreign land, on the run from a fate he didn’t want. He could be a celebrity in disguise from the press and the public. Was he being followed by anxious photographer? Could he some sort of popular public figure on the run., or just wanting a little freedom from the demands of life? I frowned, wondering if I would ever seen him again, or maybe I had seen him and not known it. With a resigned sigh, I washed out my cup and headed to my room to get ready for work.

It was Friday, and I let myself smile. The day had been long and harder than usual, so I was ready for for a night of pizza and a movie. There wasn’t much to do, but I felt like just spending the evening alone. Sometimes I would go to a club with friends, or eat out at a restaurant, but tonight I didn't want to go anywhere. Today I was sitting on one of the benches, having missed the work rush home, because I had stayed later. Letting my head lean back on the glass, I watched the people and tunnel pass by the window.

I felt a little lethargic. Possibly because I hadn't seen the man in days, or maybe because I didn't know who he was, or maybe because I liked him. I was picky about men, and it was rare for me to like a man so soon and without knowing anything about him. He confused and perplexed me, and his eyes seemed to hypnotize me. There was something about him that I couldn't forget. My brain had exhausted scenarios of who he was, which only depressed me.

Maybe I would never see him again. That thought only depressed me more.

I heard footsteps and assumed it was just someone moving between the cars. There was enough space to move around and find seats instead of standing. In all of my daydreaming, I wasn't paying attention, and yelped when someone grabbed my wrist and yanked me to my feet. I gasped, and looked up to see a broad back, covered in a long black wool coat, and a blonde head. He pulled the sliding door back to show the dividing room between the cars, which was empty of people for the moment, and slid the door closed behind us.

It was him.

He pushed my back against the wall of the train, and kissed me. His strong frame pressed into me, his fingers diving into my hair, as he plundered. My arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and I was fulling prepared to hold onto him as long as I wanted this time. No trains or doors or stops would interfere this time. I wanted to crawl into him, wrap him around myself so he could never slip away from me again.

Slowly, he pulled away, but kept the closeness between us. His forehead touched mine, and I watched as his eyes opened and slowly raised to bore into mine.

"Jeongyeon. Yoo Jeongyeon."

I watched him wordlessly for a moment, "Why did you kiss me?"

"Now?" a slow, satisfied smirk spread across Jeongyeon's face, "Because you've been driving me crazy ever since that first time."

"Why did you leave your coat with me? You could have told me who you were earlier and I could have brought it to you."

He shrugged his head, "At the beginning, it gave me a reason so see you if I had needed one."

I smiled at him, and moved my head down to lean on his chest, "You could have just asked."

"I suppose," Jeongyeon chuckled, an amused look on his face, "I didn't even think of it."

"I've still got it, you can have it back if you want," I looked up at him, "But I have one condition."

"Oh?"

"You have to come back to my place to get it."

He grinned, "Deal."

The doors opened and I pushed him out through the doors, holding his hand tightly and threading my fingers threw his. I didn't want him to disappear on me again. When I watched the subway leave us behind, I couldn't stop smiling, "This way."

He followed me obediently, easily matching my pace up the stairs of the station.

"Oh, that reminds me," I asked, "Who exactly are you anyway? Who was following you?"

Jeongyeon looked at me, "It's a long story and a bit unbelievable."

I smiled back at him, "I think can handle it."

I stood in the subway underneath the streets of Seoul. Glancing at my watch slightly, I gripped the handhold as the train made its way through the tunnel. Personally, I liked taking the subway. Part of the reason why I enjoyed it was because I liked watching people, making up stories in my head about who they were and where they were going. There were so many different kinds of people that took the subway, as if there was a new one every day, and my creative imagination would run wild.

There were a lot of people on the subway. I found myself squeezed between two people as the door opened to let in a few more passengers. It was a good thing that I wouldn’t be on too long, the crowd would make anyone feel claustrophobic. Checking my watch again, I figured I had two minutes until the train will reach my destination. Pulling my bag tighter on my shoulder, I started to look for a way to get out of the crowd when the doors would open.

Before I could take a step, I felt a hand grab my free one, and I jumped. Looking up, my eyes fell on a tall, blonde man. His hair was slightly longer than it should have been, brushing the top of the collar of his beige trench-coat. He was tall and slightly intimidating, his large hand gripped mine so tightly that I couldn’t pull away. I frowned, “ Um, excuse me-“

“ Play along. I’m being followed. “

“ Um-“

“ Please. “

When he said “ please “, it caught my attention. I glanced over at him as he gazed back, and found myself lost in his brown eyes. They seemed deep and endless, and only when he looked away did I find myself able to look away. The subway grew closer to my stop, I glanced nervously back at him.

“ My stop is next.”

The train slowed, and he shoved me outside with the rest of the crowd. Taking off his coat, I found the beige material pulled over the top of my head, hiding my face from any potential onlookers. Despite the fact that I was standing on the platform outside of the train , he stood only a foot away from the subway.

“ It’s raining outside, take this and keep dry. “

I was confused, especially when the large coat was pulled over the top of my head.

“ Make sure that you leave quickly and go straight home. They’ll follow me for a while, and I’ll lead them away. “

“ What is- “

Pulling the coat closer over my head, he leaned over and kissed me. Anybody watching would have assumed we were dating, or lovers, or in some sort of relationship. His mouth played gently over mine, parting my lips, and my eyes slid closed as I tasted him. He tasted like mint, I smelled like ceder and spring rain. There was a beep of warning from the subway, alerting to the crowd that the doors would be closing soon, and he eased away. I stared at him with wide eyes as he stepped backward into the train. He had been wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and jeans under the coat.

“ Thank you. “ He murmured to me.

 

 

My mouth was still gaping at him, and the smile he gave me was a sad. The doors shut, and I watched as the train shot off down the tunnel.

For a few moments I simply stood on the platform and stared, holding the jacket tightly around me. Part of me really didn’t know what to do, but I was surprisingly not bothered by the fact that some stranger in the subway had just kissed me. I finally willed myself to turn around, and walked up the steps towards downtown Seoul. It was raining so hard, that I pulled the coat tighter.

It smelled like him

With a sigh, I headed back to my apartment.

 

The alarm went off on Saturday morning, and I cursed and slammed the button. Usually, I would remember to turn off the alarm and sleep in on Saturday, but I had forgotten. Sitting up, I realized I was too awake to go back to bed, and just got up.

The coffee pot was bubbling, and I glanced over at the chair in the kitchen to see the beige coat. I hadn’t known what to do with it when I reached my apartment, and I figured I would set it aside and think about it tomorrow morning. I walked over to it with my cup of coffee, and looked through the pockets. There really wasn’t anything that would help me as far as figuring out who the owner was, and I sat down at the table across from it, sipping my coffee.

I couldn’t just keep some strange man’s jacket.

Who was he? My brain started to wonder a bit. Who had he been running from? His casual clothes told me that he was either dressed for comfort or easy movement. He could have been running from an estranged ex, or an overzealous girlfriend. He could have been on the run from some sort of criminal, or a secret agent in a hurry to stop a disastrous crime. The point of covering my head with the jacket? To hide my face from someone who might do ill to me if they saw me with him.

The kiss however confused me. Had it been  cover or a distraction? He had needed someone to think  that he wasn’t alone, that he was just some guy escorting his girlfriend in the subway. What was the point of putting the jacket on my head? To protect me from the rain .

It was early in the morning, but the rain was still going. Listening to the patter on the windows was soothing, and I found myself sinking down into the chair and biting on  the edge of my coffee cup.

On Monday, I stood in the subway once again, holding onto the metal pole. The crowd was just as big as it always was, I found myself pressed against the pole. There were still a good numberksomeone bumped into me.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around me, and pulled me steady, a hand wrapping over mine on the pole.

Turning my head, I found myself staring into the same pair of brown eyes of the man who kissed me and left his coat with me. Today he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of faded jeans that fit him nicely. His blonde hair was still slightly dishevelled as if the wind has combed through it. One of his arms still banded around my waist, holding me tightly as the subway shook.

 

There was a small smile on his face as I stared at him.

“ Hi, “ I managed to grind out, even though my mind had froze and I could barely breathe.

“ Hi.”

Neither one of us said anything, just stared a one another. The train came to my stop, and he let go of me. I couldn’t bring myself to leave yet, so I stood on the other side of the threshold, and stared back at him. I had thirty seconds before the doors close.

“ I have you coat.” I called back over the crowd.

“ Hold onto it for me, “ he replied back.

I gave him a unsure look, “ It’s really a nice coat. “

“ It’s fine, I’ve got others. “

There was a warning beep, signalling that there would be ten seconds before the doors would close. I opened my mouth to say something, even though I had no idea what it was. Before I could make a sound, he leaned forward and kissed me.

It wasn’t rushed like the other one, and he wasn’t tense. His strong hands lay on the sides of my face as his mouth lazily captured mine, tasting me, his fingers tangling in my straight , dark hair. I reached forward to try and touch him, but there was a loud tone that told me the subway doors were closing. He pulled away, leaning back into the train car. I stared in a daze as the doors started to close.

“ Mina! “ I screamed my name at him over the roar of the other subway trains and the crowd of travellers. The doors closed and I stared at him through the glass, there was a surprised look on his face as the train shot off down the track.

I had trouble concentrating at work for the rest of the day.

 

My alarm went off on Wednesday morning.

It had been a couple of days since I had seen the man on the train. I dreamed about seeing him, and about kisses in on the platform. His beige coat was hanging on one of the hooks next to the front door of my apartment, along with my other coat. Standing in the kitchen in a big sweater, sweat pants, and a robe, I stared at it from across the room. I held a cup of coffee in my hands, and simply stared.

Who was he?

A prince from a foreign land, on the run from a fate he didn’t want. He could be a celebrity in disguise from the press and the public. Was he being followed by anxious photographer? Could he some sort of popular public figure on the run., or just wanting a little freedom from the demands of life? I frowned, wondering if I would ever seen him again, or maybe I had seen him and not known it. With a resigned sigh, I washed out my cup and headed to my room to get ready for work.

It was Friday, and I let myself smile. The day had been long and harder than usual, so I was ready for for a night of pizza and a movie. There wasn’t much to do, but I felt like just spending the evening alone. Sometimes I would go to a club with friends, or eat out at a restaurant, but tonight I didn't want to go anywhere. Today I was sitting on one of the benches, having missed the work rush home, because I had stayed later. Letting my head lean back on the glass, I watched the people and tunnel pass by the window.

I felt a little lethargic. Possibly because I hadn't seen the man in days, or maybe because I didn't know who he was, or maybe because I liked him. I was picky about men, and it was rare for me to like a man so soon and without knowing anything about him. He confused and perplexed me, and his eyes seemed to hypnotize me. There was something about him that I couldn't forget. My brain had exhausted scenarios of who he was, which only depressed me.

Maybe I would never see him again. That thought only depressed me more.

I heard footsteps and assumed it was just someone moving between the cars. There was enough space to move around and find seats instead of standing. In all of my daydreaming, I wasn't paying attention, and yelped when someone grabbed my wrist and yanked me to my feet. I gasped, and looked up to see a broad back, covered in a long black wool coat, and a blonde head. He pulled the sliding door back to show the dividing room between the cars, which was empty of people for the moment, and slid the door closed behind us.

It was him.

He pushed my back against the wall of the train, and kissed me. His strong frame pressed into me, his fingers diving into my hair, as he plundered. My arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and I was fulling prepared to hold onto him as long as I wanted this time. No trains or doors or stops would interfere this time. I wanted to crawl into him, wrap him around myself so he could never slip away from me again.

Slowly, he pulled away, but kept the closeness between us. His forehead touched mine, and I watched as his eyes opened and slowly raised to bore into mine.

"Jeongyeon. Yoo Jeongyeon."

I watched him wordlessly for a moment, "Why did you kiss me?"

"Now?" a slow, satisfied smirk spread across Jeongyeon's face, "Because you've been driving me crazy ever since that first time."

"Why did you leave your coat with me? You could have told me who you were earlier and I could have brought it to you."

He shrugged his head, "At the beginning, it gave me a reason so see you if I had needed one."

I smiled at him, and moved my head down to lean on his chest, "You could have just asked."

"I suppose," Jeongyeon chuckled, an amused look on his face, "I didn't even think of it."

"I've still got it, you can have it back if you want," I looked up at him, "But I have one condition."

"Oh?"

"You have to come back to my place to get it."

He grinned, "Deal."

The doors opened and I pushed him out through the doors, holding his hand tightly and threading my fingers threw his. I didn't want him to disappear on me again. When I watched the subway leave us behind, I couldn't stop smiling, "This way."

He followed me obediently, easily matching my pace up the stairs of the station.

"Oh, that reminds me," I asked, "Who exactly are you anyway? Who was following you?"

Jeongyeon looked at me, "It's a long story and a bit unbelievable."

I smiled back at him, "I think can handle it."