A/N: Hey everyone, I'm very sorry for the long delay, but I've had a lot going on. I have an extra-long chapter (RECORD LONG for me!) and a meatier teaser for you to make up for it. So, FYI, things have been crazy for me lately. In addition to this chapter being slow-going, I have been trying to work on my novels and I competed in a writing contest a couple of weeks ago. I also lost one of my best friends a month ago. So, I hope you all can forgive me for taking so long. I am now back to writing full-force, and happy to be. I've missed this story (and the others). Well, this chapter is super long, fluffy/romantic, angsty, and has a touch of humor. It felt like such a long time in the making (to get it just right), so I hope you enjoy. Also, thanks to Steph for her amazing feedback and for giving me a couple of pieces of dialogue and scenarios!

Anju: Korean drinking snacks/side dishes

Disclaimer: I do not own the Boys Over Flowers story or characters, as we all know. I only created the OCs. I also do not own Wuthering Heights.

Here's a little recap, but if you don't remember or want to have the flow since it's been so long (sorry!), go back and read my previous chapter, Heat Part I…

Previously…While taking Ember to the vet for a checkup, Jan Di tried to let Jung Woo down easily, but he didn't seem ready to give up on her. Later, the firefighters and EMTs took the train to the National Fire Academy. On the ride, Jan Di and Ji Hoo got a little cozy, much to all but Jung Woo's amusement. At the hotel, Jan Di encountered an old acquaintance, and elated, she rushed to greet him.

Chapter Seven: Heat Part II

After the introductions, the four of them‒Ji Hoo, Jan Di, Jung Woo, and Myung Hoon‒returned to the small hotel bar. By then, there was a table available; the waitress led them over to it. Myung Hoon was the first to reach the round table, and as he did, he pulled out a chair, beckoning Jan Di to sit. She did so, and he took a seat next to her. Jung Woo claimed the seat on the other side of Jan Di, which left Ji Hoo to sit across from her and next to Myung Hoon. The waitress told them she'd be right back, and they all sat in silence.

After a minute or two, Jung Woo spoke up. "Soo...Officer Bae," he scratched his nose, "how do you know Captain Geum here?"

The corner of Ji Hoo's lip twitched. Jung Woo certainly didn't beat around the bush. Admittedly, he wanted to know the answer to that question, too, but he'd planned to wait for one of them to say it.

"Well..." Officer Bae folded his hands and looked to Jan Di, passing the question along to her. She seemed to carefully consider what to say, while all waited for her to speak.

Was the story so complicated? Ji Hoo wondered.

Finally, she answered. "Well...," her eyes darted back and forth as she spoke, "we met through someone I worked with in my old district."

Plain and simple. The answer would be good enough for someone who couldn't read Jan Di as well as Ji Hoo could, but his instincts told him there was more to the story. She just didn't want to say. And he wasn't going to press her. He would respect her privacy, and he hoped Jung Woo would, too. Fortunately, Jung Woo nodded, accepting it. The two firefighters exchanged a brief glance, though, before focusing back on Jan Di and Myung Hoon.

Watching Jan Di, Ji Hoo noticed she seemed unsure of where to let her gaze fall. She hesitated to look at anyone in particular while somehow, simultaneously trying to give everyone equal eye contact. Meanwhile, Jung Woo's gaze shifted between Jan Di and Officer Bae, he eyeing the latter suspiciously. Ji Hoo knew Jung Woo was mistrustful of the police, but this seemed to stem from another place entirely, an all-too-familiar one. As for Ji Hoo, he didn't want to make the situation any more uncomfortable than it already was, so when his eyes met Jan Di's again, he simply gave her a small smile, in hopes of conveying she shouldn't be nervous.

Jan Di tried to smile back at Chief Yoon, but too many emotions were rolling around inside of her, causing her stomach to unsettle and to go dry. "I think we need some drinks!" she suddenly exclaimed, and she hurriedly called for the waitress, who was already approaching the table.

Given her darting eyes, nervous fidgeting, and shrill outburst, Ji Hoo suspected this man must be a former lover. It seemed the only explanation for her extreme discomfort. She had shown some unease while in the presence of Jung Woo and himself, but not like this. Now, the situation was only exacerbated. What woman wouldn't behave thus when seated next to an ex-lover and two other men who were interested in her? It must be a lot of pressure.

Hoping to relieve some of it, Ji Hoo agreed with Jan Di that they should have a drink, and he ordered a round of shots of soju, beer, and Coke for them. Minutes later, the waitress brought the drinks and shot glasses. Being the oldest, Ji Hoo poured the alcohol for the others, first the Coke, next, the soju, and finally, the beer. They all raised their glasses, said 'geonbae' and downed their shots. Jung Woo was the first to finish, followed by Ji Hoo, Myung-Hoon, and finally Jan Di.

When she finished, Jan Di practically slammed her glass on the table and her lips. It wasn't slow and y like before when she'd been teasing him on the train, but it still caused a small shiver to run through Ji Hoo's legs. She then demanded 'one more,' looking to him expectantly.

"Are you sure?" Ji Hoo asked. He was concerned because she hadn't eaten anything aside from the chips on the train, and earlier she'd insisted on only having one drink. But that was before she'd seen Officer Bae. Seeing him must have somehow changed her mind…

"Definitely." Jan Di tapped her shot glass on both sides with her fingers while staring into Ji Hoo's eyes. He stared back.

Officer Bae laughed. "Don't challenge her, Chief Yoon," he said, commenting on the situation. "This woman is intense, and a little insane."

"Oh, we know," Jung Woo spoke up for the both of them. He didn't like feeling upstaged in any way by a police officer, even in knowledge of something as trivial as this.

"Yah, don't embarrass me!" Jan Di exclaimed, gripping her shot glass tighter. Ji Hoo wasn't quite sure who it was directed at, though, because her head had snapped between Myung Hoon and Jung Woo when she said it.

She settled down and focused on Ji Hoo again, and he studied her for a couple of seconds before agreeing to pour her another round. He poured for the rest of them, too, and again, they raised their glasses and cheers'ed. After the second shot, Ji Hoo nudged the plate of anju, that the waitress had brought over during round one, toward Jan Di. He mouthed for her to 'eat something.' Thinning her lips, she grabbed a crispy, golden chunk of fried squid and popped it into .

The others followed suit, going at the communal side dishes of fried fish and squid, and spicy tofu stew. "So, you two have known our Jan Di for a while now?" Myung Hoon asked, mid-chew. His eyes flitted from Ji Hoo to Jung Woo, settling on Ji Hoo.

Now, he was after information. Made sense. Or, maybe the officer was just trying to make conversation to quell the awkwardness as Ji Hoo had tried to do. "It's been about two weeks," Ji Hoo responded.

Surprise lit Officer Bae's eyes. "Really? That's it?"

Ji Hoo was questioning it, also. Was that right, only two weeks since he'd known her? In some ways, it felt as if he'd known her his whole life, and in others, it felt like he knew absolutely nothing about her, nothing real anyway. Perhaps they could change that on their date.

"Yes." Ji Hoo nodded, and without thinking or even being asked, he began recapping the story of their meeting‒about the fire, about how she'd yelled at him and his team for taking so long, and about how she'd tended his wound after. He left out the part about how stricken he'd been at first sight of her, though. That was something he preferred to tell her in private, someday, if the opportunity presented itself…

"Yeah, that sounds like Jan Di Noona," Myung Hoon said wistfully, reaching out to ruffle her hair a bit. The touch was friendly, and his smile tender. Then, with a playful grin, Myung Hoon added, "Yep. Just like her. Beat the out of you, and then make it all better." This caused the men to laugh in spite of everything.

Jan Di's cheeks tinted pink as she spoke up loudly, "When did I beat the…?" She paused.

Jan Di was tough, spunky, not to be trifled with, but she didn't curse often. In fact, Ji Hoo had only heard her do it once when she'd asked him 'what the hell' he was doing at their first fire together. Even in the presence of a bunch of barely behaving firefighters with dirty mouths, she'd refrained from cursing the entire day she was at the station. He assumed the EMTs were no better, but as with his guys, she probably managed to keep them in line better than most.

Her raised voice brought him out of his reverie. "When did I ever do that?!" she finished, wrapping an arm around Myung Hoon's neck and putting him in a headlock.

"You're...doing it...right now!" Myung Hoon clutched at Jan Di's arm, pretending to choke, which only made her squeeze her elbow tighter against his throat. Smirking, she finally let go, and he pretended to rub the soreness away. "And then there was that one time…," he continued, leaning against his hand and raising a brow.

"What time…oh...ohhh...oh yeah!" Jan Di started laughing, and he joined in.

Ji Hoo and Jung Woo's eyes flitted between the two confusedly, so Myung Hoon went on to explain. "Well, you see, this one time, she almost broke my arm."

The firefighters stared at Jan Di in not-total disbelief.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault! He attacked me!" Jan Di exclaimed, pointing accusingly.

Myung Hoon's head snapped between Jan Di and the firefighters. "Whoa, whoa, it wasn't like that…" He held his hands up innocently. "I was just messing with her."

"You jumped out at me!"

"Yes, I did." Myung Hoon nodded. "And you made me pay for it."

"Well, what did you expect?! I just...reacted."

"You certainly did. Next thing I knew I was on the ground with you sitting on top of me pressing my face into the cold, hard floor, my arm raised waaay back over my head." Myung Hoon stretched, imitating the position.

Shaking his head a bit, Ji Hoo fought a smile. The image of Jan Di doing that was amusing. It was so like her. He still had that gnawing feeling in his gut, though. He didn't exactly like the touchy-feeliness between the two, but their interactions thus far had been playful rather than overly romantic, and he kept calling her 'noona.' Just because he was younger and spoke to her with a respectful familiarity didn't mean they hadn't been involved, but it seemed more like a brother-sister type relationship between them. Maybe he had nothing to worry about, after all.

"As I said, I reacted. I knew what to do if someone came up on me from behind." She and Myung-Hoon shared a look, both knowing exactly where she'd learned that defensive move, but neither planning to say it.

A small uncomfortable silence passed before Myung Hoon continued with his story. "So, there I was, lying on the ground, Noona twisting my arm behind my back, demanding that I apologize for sneaking up on her… Of course, I was a little younger then and prideful, so I refused to do it. It hurt like hell, but I just kept holding out. It was her strength of will against mine, which was a pretty good battle, I'll tell you. A few more minutes passed, and she just kept twisting; I was expecting to hear the crunch of bone any second…" Myung Hoon over-exaggerated, laughing a little, "but then my br-" The laugh died on his lips as he cut himself off mid-word.

Ji Hoo noticed that the expression on Jan Di's face had totally changed. Her smile had disappeared, replaced by a woeful grimace. She looked away from all of them. Officer Bae watched her for a couple of seconds, lowered his eyes, and sighed. "But then someone stopped her," he finished.

Jan Di met Myung Hoon's eyes, then her gaze slowly drifted to the ceiling as the rest of the memory came crashing over her. It hit her like a powerful wave, but she clung to it like a security blanket. And she finished the rest of the story in her head…

That someone suddenly grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her off Myung Hoon. "Go easy on my little brother. I didn't teach you that so you could break his arm," he playfully whispered in her ear. She tried to protest that he deserved it but said person started mercilessly tickling her until she lost her train of thought. Tussling with the new threat, who was much stronger than his brother, and not really a threat at all‒she didn't mind him having his hands on her‒Jan Di fought for breath between giggles. All the while, Myung Hoon lay on the ground in pain. "You okay?" that person finally called out to the heap on the floor, and he stopped tickling her long enough for them to check on Myung Hoon. After examining him, Jan Di knew he wasn't hurt badly and had clearly been overacting. That person swatted his brother in the back of the head, called him an idiot, and told him it served him right, before re-focusing all his attention on her.

Jan Di slammed the book of reminiscence shut. No good could come from reliving this…

Sensing her mood, Myung Hoon cleared his throat and changed the subject to the training the following day. That got them all talking more; they had some snacks, and the guys had another round of shots. And the mood turned light again. Even Jung Woo seemed to be warming up to Officer Bae, or at least tolerating him better, likely due to the alcohol. That is when he wasn't touching Jan Di. Jung Woo clearly didn't like when he did that, but he kept his reactions in check, aside from a subtle glaring.

And Officer Bae continued with his friendly ministrations, a pat on the arm, an arm around the shoulder, or a ruffle of her hair. This type of interaction was all-too-familiar to Ji Hoo‒the smiles, the inside jokes, the light touches. Jan Di and Bae Myung Hoon were behaving a lot like him and her, but with them, there was more of a slow-burning heat bubbling beneath the surface, or so Ji Hoo believed. And while Jan Di was completely casual but more forward with Officer Bae, with him she could be shy.

But Ji Hoo's bigger concern right now was Jan Di's reaction to the mysterious person neither she nor Officer Bae seemed willing to mention by name, the one who had 'stopped her' from breaking his arm. It had sounded like Officer Bae was about to say 'brother,' so Ji Hoo assumed Jan Di had some kind of relationship with Officer Bae's brother. Given the way she'd reacted, it was likely more than a friendly one, and from the way they'd both clammed up, it seemed as though it didn't end on good terms.

The guys decided to have one last round, and Jan Di asked to join in, too. Ji Hoo poured the shot without question this time. He subtly glanced downward while throwing back his shot, noticing Jan Di had already finished hers and was staring blankly down at her hands. He couldn't tell if she was drunk or deep in thought, maybe a little of both. He plunked his glass down as her eyes flitted up to meet his. Her expression was strangely guarded, but after a couple of seconds, she put on a smile. It was so transparently fake that it made Ji Hoo's heart hurt.

"Jung Woo." Ji Hoo placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We should go." Jung Woo furrowed his brow. "We need to prepare some things for tomorrow before dinner," Ji Hoo said.

Jung Woo's lips parted in disbelief. He fixed his eyes on his friend, silently demanding, 'So, we're going to leave the woman we both like tipsy and alone with this guy?!'

"We should…" Ji Hoo scratched the back of his neck. "Let Captain Geum properly catch up with her old friend."

Jung Woo nodded and stood. "Alright."

That was much easier than he'd anticipated.

Then Ji Hoo looked to Jan Di. For a second, her eyes flickered with disappointment, only to be replaced by thanks. He suspected they had some private matters to discuss. He turned to Bae Myung Hoon. "Officer Bae, would you do me a favor and make sure she doesn't have more to drink?" Whether there were any romantic feelings there or not, he seemed like a nice guy who cared for her, so Ji Hoo believed it was safe to leave her in his hands. But just in case, he fixed Officer Bae with piercing eyes, and understanding, the policeman nodded his assent.

Ji Hoo looked back at Jan Di; she'd shot him a look that was malice mixed with a little bit of hurt.

"Don't want you to have a splitting headache tomorrow," Ji Hoo explained.

"I have to agree with the fire chief there, Noona," Myung Hoon said, studying Jan Di. "I know you're made of steel, but I don't think your stomach is."

She turned her sour look on Myung Hoon, who gulped down his fear, and she trained her eyes back on Ji Hoo. Amusement was now plastered over her face, yet he could see the pain that had burrowed into her eyes. "Oh, Chief Yoon, please! Do you not think I'm responsible?!"

Her mood had flipped so many times during the past half hour, but again, he could tell she was acting. "Of course, I do," he said. "It's just a...precaution." She didn't look happy about that, at all, but he didn't linger. He simply threw up a static wave and turned to leave, grabbing Jung Woo by the arm and tugging him along.

Jan Di watched Ji Hoo walk away with the slightly taller Jung Woo by his side before turning back to Myung-Hoon.

. . .

The firefighters had gone, but Ji Hoo had ordered a glass of ice water for her on his way out. Jan Di currently sat there, staring at Myung Hoon and swirling her empty glass of water around, making the ice cubes clink against the sides.

Myung Hoon let the prolonged silence persist for about fifteen seconds longer before breaking it. "Um, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Sorry." She shook her head rapidly. "It's just, you look...you look so much like… I feel like I'm looking at a ghost," she breathed out.

"Okay, I think the fire chief was right about not letting you drink anymore, Noona." He tried to laugh it off, but it came out painful. He knew what she meant by that.

"I'm serious," she said. "You look just like…" Myung Hoon shook his head as if to command 'don't say it,' but she did, anyway. "Just like him." She reached out with trembling fingers to touch his face as if she actually believed he was a ghost and her hand would go clean through. But when she was mere inches away, he grabbed her hand. Realizing her previous action, she froze.

Myung Hoon didn't know what she'd been thinking when she'd reached out for him, but whatever it was, it couldn't be good. "Noona." He squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"I..." The color drained from Jan Di's cheeks as her hand went limp in his. "I'm-I'm so sorry," she blurted.

Myung Hoon gently placed her hand on the table. "Nothing to be sorry about."

Her hand was quivering violently against the wood grain of the table. Myung Hoon stared down at it for a few seconds before carefully placing his large hand atop hers. The shaking beneath his hand didn't even subside.

"I don't know why I said that." Jan Di scoffed at herself. "I know you're not...him, but I just…" Her eyes began to moisten.

"I know." Myung Hoon heaved a sigh. "We both miss him, but I don't think we should live in the past."

"I'm not," Jan Di insisted, a bit too vehemently. Her eyes were now b with tears dangerously threatening to spill over.

"Are you alright, Noona?" he gently asked, giving her knuckle a squeeze.

"Yes. It's-it's not that I'm living in the past. I've...moved on, I have, but seeing you…" Several droplets of moisture trickled onto her cheeks. "It brought some things back to me."

Fully comprehending, Myung Hoon nodded. "Yeah, for me, too."

There was a long pause.

"How do you live with it?" she finally asked.

"I have no choice," Myung Hoon responded. "I can't just crawl into a hole and die. And neither can you. Myung Hwan wouldn't have wanted that." Jan Di hoped it wasn't too noticeable the way she flinched when he said his name. If it was, Myung Hoon didn't show it, only continued on, "And as for seeing you, I know he'd be as happy as I am about us being reunited. If I could talk to him, I'm sure he'd tell me to give you a big, fat hug for him, but just to watch my hands."

Jan Di gave a painful nod. "That sounds like him…"

"Noona." He got her attention, and they exchanged a warm smile. "As I said, I'm happy we met again, and rather than dwelling on the sadness of the past, I just want to enjoy spending time with you again. It feels like old times, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does." She slipped her hand from his grasp and reached out for him again. This time he let her touch his cheek, and she gave it a light pat. "Thanks. I'm really glad to see you."

"Me too, baby."

Jan Di chuckled and smacked his cheek. Then she let out a heavy breath. "...Well, now that that's out of the way, tell me everything." She began speaking rapidly, "I want to know all about your promotion and your life. Where are you living? What have you been doing besides work? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Myung Hoon chuckled. "One thing at a time, Noona. First‒"

He was interrupted by a loud, female voice shouting for him. "Myung Hoon Sunbae!"

Jan Di's head snapped to where the voice had come from, a split-second after Myung Hoon looked. A young woman of strong, slender build in uniform was waving frantically at Myung Hoon.

"Kyung Hee-ah," he called out, waving her over. And the policewoman approached. Her hair was cut in a short bob, and she had an innocent-looking face. Jan Di and Myung Hoon prepared to greet her, but to Jan Di's surprise, she slugged Myung Hoon in the arm.

"Oww. Why am I surrounded by so many violent women?" he asked rhetorically under his breath.

She heard him and exclaimed, "Yah, Sunbae!" before hitting him again.

Myung Hoon rubbed his arm and scowled at her; she scowled right back. But instantly, she was perky again. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Sunbae?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah." He finished rubbing his arm while she shook her head at him. "Kyung Hee, this is my dear old friend, Geum Jan Di. Jan Di, this is my crazy hoobae, Na Kyung Hee."

"Yah, I'm not crazy!" She glared at Myung Hoon for a couple of seconds, and Jan Di was expecting her to hit him again, but she only turned and smiled at her. "Nice to meet you!" Kyung Hee stuck her hand out.

"You, too, Kyung Hee-ssi," Jan Di said, shaking the proffered hand.

"Wait, Geum Jan Di, was it?" Kyung Hee's mouth twitched into a grin.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Oh, yes, Sunbae has mentioned you! His noona, Jan Di, of course! I'm so happy to meet you." Jan Di was a bit surprised that Myung Hoon had mentioned her, given the circumstances. He must be close with Kyung Hee if he'd told her about them. And she wondered how much… "Oh, and hey, we're roomies!"

"Oh, that's great." Jan Di asked if Kyung Hee wanted a drink, but she politely refused, saying she would like to drop off her things and get settled first.

"I'll show you to our room," Jan Di said. "You don't mind, Myung Hoon-ah?"

"No, of course not. You two go get settled and get to know one another."

The females said goodbye to Myung Hoon and headed off. Kyung Hee behaved very friendly toward Jan Di, even linked arms with her while they walked to the elevators. And they accompanied each other back to the room. Along the way, they chatted, exchanging general information, such as their ages and how many brothers and sisters they had.

When Jan Di opened the door to their room, she was surprised to hear the sound of the shower running. "Who…?" she began, but then she recalled they had another roommate. There were only three women from emergency, fire services, and the police department signed up for this training weekend, so they'd crammed all three of them into one hotel room.

"I guess two of us will be sharing a bed," Jan Di commented. "Or, I could take the couch," she offered when she noticed the green object against the opposite wall. "I can sleep anywhere."

"Oh, no, Jan Di-ssi, you take the bed!"

"That's okay. Hey, why don't we compromise? I think we can share one, right?" The queen-sized bed was certainly large enough for two small women.

"Sure!" the bubbly policewoman exclaimed. She probably thought it sounded fun, like a sleepover. "And don't worry, I don't snore."

Jan Di smiled at the younger woman and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"I think I'm going to decide what to wear to dinner," Kyung Hee told her as she placed her suitcase on the bed behind Jan Di. She ped it and began pulling out a few items of clothing.

Jan Di patted her legs, kicking them out and dropping her feet to the floor. "I guess I should, too; although, I didn't bring much." She suddenly regretted it because she'd noticed the hotel restaurant in the lobby, and it was rather fancy.

"Oh, don't worry, Jan Di-ssi. If you need something to wear, I brought a few too many outfits. See?" Kyung Hee gestured toward the three different dinner dresses she'd laid out on the bed, a black and white one, a red one, and a light green one. She chuckled. "I'm not as girly or fashion-obsessed as I seem, not at all, really, but I just thought...I don't know…" She shrugged one arm. "That maybe I'd look nice for a change. Does that make any sense?"

Jan Di smiled. She suspected that Kyung Hee's wardrobe obsession might have something to do with a certain police officer, who she'd thought she noticed a spark between at the bar.

"That makes complete sense, Kyung Hee-ssi. Oh, and you can drop the formal speech with me if you want."

Kyung Hee grinned. "Okay, um...Jan Di-ah! That goes for you too, then!"

Jan Di nodded.

Just then, the door to the bathroom opened, and a wall of steam escaped, nearly choking them. "I thought I heard someone," came a silky smooth voice that sounded like it could belong to someone who advertised products on TV or reported the weather. The voice was attached to a lithe blonde woman wrapped in a fluffy, white towel.

The woman stepped forward. "I'm Cho Min Ji. Fire services. Pleased to meet you both." Her words were polite enough, but she spoke with such a lackadaisical tone that it seemed she was just going through the motions.

Kyung Hee gave her a look up and down. "So, you're a firefighter?" she asked dubiously.

"No, I said, I work in fire services," she corrected rudely. Then she tossed her long, damp, sandy-colored hair back over her shoulder and took a seat on the edge of the other bed, crossing one slender leg over the other. "I manage things in the office."

Kyung Hee's nose crinkled a bit in distaste. "So, what are you doing here?" she asked bluntly.

Apparently, Kyung Hee had already decided she didn't like their new roommate and would match her rudeness.

Min Ji shrugged. "I don't know. They thought I should learn something, or maybe they just wanted a female representative."

Kyung Hee and Jan Di nodded slowly, exchanging a glance. Min Ji proceeded to hike her leg up on the bed and rub lotion on it. "So, who's here, anyway?" she asked.

Jan Di listed the names of the people she knew that'd come. To her chagrin, Min Ji perked up at Chief Yoon.

"Chief Yoon's here?"

"Yes, you know him?" Jan Di asked as carelessly as she could.

"Ohh, yes, I know Chief Yoon."

Jan Di felt her stomach clench, the corners of wilting into a frown. What did that mean? Surely it didn't mean what she was thinking, but she didn't like the way Min Ji's eyes brightened or the way her lips curled up at the sound of his name, nor did she like that haughty, suggestive tone of hers. "So, how do you know Chief Yoon?" She couldn't help but ask, even though she may not want to know the answer. "You work at a different station, don't you?"

"Yes, but we met at a function years ago."

Jan Di inadvertently sighed in relief.

"I'm so glad he came to this thing, though…," she said, combing her fingers through her blondish strands. "I felt like I really missed my chance before."

Jan Di felt her stomach tightening again. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying not to sound caustic but failing miserably.

"Well, I really wanted to ask him out the night of the fundraiser, but he was there with his girlfriend." She sighed but quickly perked up. "I hear he's not seeing anyone now, though, so…"

Jan Di cut her off. "How do you know he's not seeing anyone?" It came out mid-way between defensive and haughty, and Kyung Hee shot her a curious look. Fearing she might be catching on, Jan Di decided she'd better tone it down.

Min Ji seemed oblivious, though. She poked out her full lips in contemplation. "It's just what I've heard."

"Well, then, I think you should go for it," Jan Di hissed. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to say that. What was she doing throwing Min Ji at Chief Yoon? Was she that confident Min Ji would fail?

"Hmm, yeah, I think I will," the breathy bimbo said. "Thanks."

Jan Di did her best not to glare. You're not welcome…

Min Ji suddenly dropped her towel‒not surprisingly, she had no shame. And Jan Di looked away. It wasn't that she hadn't seen other females before, but this wasn't a sauna! Jan Di looked to Kyung Hee, who appeared equally horrified while Min Ji slipped into a pair of red, lacy . She straightened up and put on a matching bra. "Oh, the things I'd like to do to that man…," Min Ji mused while clasping the back.

Jan Di gaped, then rolled her eyes as subtly as she could. What did she think this was, some kind of meat market?! She had a snappy comeback all ready but managed to hold her tongue.

Clad in only her bra and , Min Ji stared at Jan Di, her dark cocoa eyes glinting. "I won't miss my chance this time."

Was that some kind of challenge or a threat? Had she picked up on Jan Di's jealousy? Before Jan Di could analyze it further, the firewoman smirked. "Hey, I like you two," she said. Jan Di suspected she didn't mean it at all. "It's fun to girl-talk for a change. I work with all guys."

Maybe she meant it but was just really bad at these things…

"Although, no offense, it's too bad we have to share this room tonight..."

And that did it. Just when Jan Di was thinking perhaps she wasn't all bad, she had to go on and say that! Jan Di knew what Min Ji was hinting at, and she wanted to lunge at her for it. What did she think she was going to do, seduce Chief Yoon tonight and kick them out of their room while she had her way with him?! Oh, I think not!

She felt the heat emanating off her face and neck, but this was silly. She had no reason to be jealous, as far as she knew. She just needed to calm down before she said or did something...unprofessional, so she trudged across the room. She took a big gulp of air out of sight and let it out slowly, and then she walked over to the table. She grabbed one of the complimentary bottled waters, twisted the cap off sharply, and threw back a swig. In her rage, she ended up chugging half the bottle at once.

When she set it down again, both Kyung Hee and Min Ji were staring at her. "Oh." She laughed a little. "I was just really thirsty. I barely drank anything the entire train ride here, and I had some salty snacks and alcohol earlier." It was a good excuse, she decided.

Kyung Hee opened to say something to her, but Min Ji walked off to the bathroom before she could. "I'm going to dry my hair," Min Ji casually tossed back.

As soon as she was shut in the bathroom, Kyung Hee looked over at Jan Di, who had taken a seat on their bed. "You okay?"

"Of course," Jan Di said.

"Well, she's a real piece of work, isn't she?" The policewoman sneered in the direction of the bathroom.

The corner of Jan Di's mouth quirked, and she broke into a full smile when Kyung Hee started imitating Min Ji, walking around ily with a hand on her hip and batting her eyelashes. She pretended to drop a towel and breathily said, "Oops." Jan Di nearly died.

Kyung Hee carried on her mocking. "Oh, Chief Yoon, let's go back to my hotel room," she said flightily. "My roommates won't mind. They can sleep in the hall."

Jan Di choked out a laugh, then slammed a finger against her lips.

"Oh, I don't care if she hears me, Jan Di-ah. I mean, come on, who does she think she is?!"

Jan Di shrugged.

At that moment, Min Ji popped her head out of the bathroom, makeup done and hair partially dried. The air suddenly filled with a strong floral scent, causing both Jan Di and Kyung Hee to wrinkle their noses a bit. "Did you say something?" she inquired.

"I was just saying how pretty your hair is, Min Ji-ah," Kyung Hee easily lied, smirking over at Jan Di, who kept a straight face. Min Ji simply smiled assuredly and popped back into the bathroom without saying thanks.

Kyung Hee's face twisted in disgust, and she began frantically waving a hand in the air to banish the perfume stink. "Ugh, did she bathe in that stuff?" Jan Di grinned a little. Then Kyung Hee humphed. "Can you believe her? She looks like she wants to be in a girl group."

Jan Di could see what Kyung Hee meant. Now that it was drier, she could tell Min Ji's hair was dyed a platinum blonde, though her black roots were beginning to peek through, and she wore heavy makeup. She also had a killer figure from what they'd seen firsthand.

"She's definitely had surgery," Kyung Hee said Jan Di's thought aloud. "Probably her nose and lips. And don't even get me started on 'those things!'" Kyung Hee motioned in the air and pressed her s provocatively together. Jan Di had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.

"Yeah, those things are definitely fake..." Kyung Hee went on to say, not even attempting to be quiet. Then she took it a step further, placing her hand alongside and calling out over the sound of the hairdryer, "Hey you, Chief Yoon wants the real th-!" Jan Di quickly clasped her hand over Kyung Hee's mouth, muffling her.

"Kyung Hee-ah! Shhh…" Kyung Hee made a garbled noise in , and Jan Di finally released . "You shouldn't say things like that," she said, but she was laughing a little. "Not so loud, at least. We have to share a room with her, you know?"

"Yeah, sorry." Kyung Hee hung her head. "I have no filter. That's what Sunbae always tells me."

Jan Di grinned and patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay." She knew she had no right to lecture a woman she just met, even if she was her elder, and she was finding a twisted enjoyment in hearing Min Ji ripped to shreds for what she'd said. But then a wave of guilt, like nausea, washed over Jan Di as she recalled her appa… He'd always encouraged her to have a kind word for everyone, to never speak ill of anyone.

"Can I at least pull a prank on her while she's sleeping tonight?" Kyung Hee hopped up and down like a small child.

Jan Di shook her head amusedly. This was a training session, not a slumber party, and the notion was ridiculous coming from a twenty-one-year-old woman and a defender of the peace, at that. Jan Di imagined Kyung Hee had something of a dual personality, though‒strong, solemn police officer while on duty and sassy, playful girl off duty.

Jan Di thinned her lips, putting on her sternest countenance. "No, sorry."

Kyung Hee was disappointed but quickly recovered. "You know, you're a really kind person, unnie." She smiled. "Can I call you unnie?" the young woman asked hopefully.

Jan Di nodded, all the while thinking she was not a kind person at all. And Kyung Hee wouldn't think so either if she could hear the thoughts in her head, if she knew what she'd wanted to do to Min Ji when she'd insinuated doing dirty things to Chief Yoon. Not that Jan Di would ever physically hurt another person, unless in self-defense, but she could fantasize about it…

"You know, I wonder if any part of her is real…" Kyung Hee must have gotten a second wind, or she was not quite satisfied and needed to get one last shot in.

"Body, face, or personality?" Jan Di blurted out.

"All three!" Kyung Hee laughed. "But I think her personality is probably real; she just has a bad one."

Again, Jan Di had to stifle a laugh, but then that gnawing feeling of guilt crept in… "Maybe she is the way she is for a reason." Was that a little better, Appa? She asked silently of the sky.

"Maybe, unnie." Kyung Hee clearly said it only for Jan Di's benefit. "...Well, now that the hussy is preoccupied…" She slyly grinned, and Jan Di had to fight back yet another laugh over her use of the word 'hussy' in reference to Cho Min Ji. "Let's talk about this Chief Yoon… Is he really that handsome?"

"Oh, Kyung Hee-ah, you're not interested in him, too, are you?"

"No, no, of course not!" She waved her hands in the air to keep Jan Di from getting the wrong idea. "I like‒!" She almost blurted it out but clasped her hand over just in time.

Jan Di smiled knowingly. "It's okay, Kyung Hee-ah. I won't say anything."

Kyung Hee sighed in relief, her cheeks tinted pink. "Thanks, unnie." She cleared . "So, um, yeah, I was kind of wondering about you and Chief Yoon."

"Whaat?" Jan Di dragged out the word a little too long. That wasn't revealing at all… She supposed she and Kyung Hee were equally transparent about their crushes, or whatever they were.

"Yeah, I kinda picked up on something there. Are you two…?"

"I don't know," Jan Di answered honestly, toying with the hem of her shirt. But she couldn't stop the smile creeping up. "Maybe…" Kyung Hee folded her arms and smiled satisfactorily. "But you can't say anything, please?" Jan Di asked in a hushed tone.

"I promise, Unnie." She crossed her heart. "I won't even tell Sunbae."

"Yes, please don't tell your sunbae," Jan Di urged. Of all people… Although, Myung-Hoon could read her so well he'd probably figure it out soon if he hadn't already. She just felt like she was betraying him, in a way, by liking another guy, so she told herself it was better if he didn't know.

Kyung Hee's brow wrinkled, obviously wondering why Jan Di was so adamant about not telling Myung Hoon, but she thankfully, let it go. She did, however, hop onto the bed and sidle up next to Jan Di like a teenage best friend at a sleepover. "So...tell me everything, Unnie," she fervently whispered.

"Kyung Hee," she said her name extra somberly and took a breath. "It's not that I don't trust you, but I just...really don't want to talk about it. Not here. It's...new, and I don't want to jinx it."

Yeah, those were pretty good excuses, and true.

"Okay, Unnie." Kyung Hee resigned with a sad smile. "I get it. I won't ask or say anything more about Chief Yoon, and you won't…?" Her voice trailed off, but Jan Di knew what she meant.

"Deal. But…," she leaned in. "I am rooting for you." And it was true. Jan Di didn't know what was between Myung Hoon and Kyung Hee, or if he even liked her, but they seemed to fit. And Kyung Hee was very nice, when she wasn't imitating people she hated, that is.

Jan Di's remark made Kyung Hee grin widely and throw her arms around her neck. She even placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "You're the best, Unnie! Now I know why Sunbae likes you so much!" At that, she leaped off the bed and returned to her clothing, deliberating between two of the dresses. She held them both up to Jan Di and asked, "Which one, Unnie?"

The green one ended up being the winner.

After nearly 40 minutes, Min Ji stepped out of the bathroom looking like a runway model. She wore a tight, black, sleeveless dress with a slit up the side of her leg, heavy makeup, and her silky hair cascaded across her shoulders and down her back in thick, golden waves. "What's going on out here?" she asked.

"Nothing," Jan Di replied. "Just more girl talk."

Min Ji nodded slowly, eyeing them both with suspicion, and Jan Di had to wonder if she'd heard the things they said. Well, they'd already gotten off on the wrong foot. How much worse could it get?

. . .

Because Min Ji had commandeered the bathroom for so long, Jan Di and Kyung Hee had to share it and get ready quickly for dinner. Jan Di ended up agreeing to borrow Kyung Hee's black and white dress, which she chose because it was nice but not overly fancy. It had a high neck, flowing sleeves, and a hoop skirt. Jan Di put the finishing touches on the tie at the top and brushed it out. Hopefully, it would be appropriate for the lobby restaurant without being too over-the-top. She didn't want to look like she was trying too hard, like Min Ji.

Jan Di was glad Kyung Hee had gone with the green dress because it fit her body nicely and seemed to match her skin tone and bring out her eyes. At Kyung Hee's behest, both Jan Di and she had donned some light makeup of Kyung Hee's. And with that, they were ready to go.

The three of them left for dinner under the guise of being friends. Well, two out of three actually were friends. As they stepped out of their room, Jan Di noticed a door opening a few rooms down the hall on the right, and Ji Hoo and Jung Woo stepped out together. They were dressed smartly in slacks, dress shirts, and jackets.

Jan Di felt her breath catch at the sight of Chief Yoon. Both of them looked handsome, but he, especially, was a sight to see in pale blue jacket and matching slacks, accompanied by a white shirt and navy tie. The colors even seemed to accentuate his skin and red hair. She'd never seen him dressed up like this, and it was hard to look away.

The men saw them, too. They greeted them and stopped to wait for them to join.

When she noticed Jan Di's staring, Kyung Hee linked arms with Jan Di and pulled her back for a second. Min Ji glanced back but didn't seem to care they'd stopped, and she kept walking toward the guys, already gushing over them. Jan Di swallowed a groan and focused on her new best friend. "Is that Chief Yoon?" Kyung Hee whispered.

"Yes," Jan Di whispered back. "The one with the red hair."

"Omo…," Kyung Hee muttered in a stunned, reverent tone, forming a perfect 'o.' She recovered a few seconds later and turned to Jan Di. "He looks like he could be in a guy group, but in a good way." She smiled widely. "But don't worry, Unnie. Still not interested. He's all yours, and by the way, bravo." She giggled at Jan Di's beet-red face. "Well, we better catch up before the hussy gets her hooks into him," Kyung Hee insisted, tugging a still flushed Jan Di along.

As they approached, Jan Di noticed Chief Yoon looking back, a gorgeous smile plastered on his lips. He kept his hands in his pockets while he politely conversed with Min Ji and Jung Woo and...waited for her? Was that what he was doing? She thought he was, at least, because he kept looking back. He seemed as eager for her to get to him as she was…

Jan Di watched Ji Hoo fix her with his gaze while Jung Woo temporarily kept Min Ji's attention, and then he mouthed something to her. It appeared to be 'You look beautiful,' and Jan Di couldn't help grinning like an idiot. Her eyes sparkling with hope, she picked up the pace to go and meet her 'prince.' Even though he wasn't hers yet, and this wasn't a date‒they wouldn't even be alone‒somehow, she felt like tonight was all about the two of them.

Jan Di walked alongside Ji Hoo down to dinner, but unfortunately, Min Ji was clinging to his other side. She'd hooked her arm through his, which he'd skillfully tried to avoid by keeping his arms tight at his sides and slipping his hands into his pocket, but to no avail. Shooting Jan Di an apologetic look, Ji Hoo let Min Ji grip his bicep. And Jan Di did her best not to sneer.

The entire time, all Jan Di could think about was how relieved she was that Min Ji didn't work at his station, or even in the same district. She'd probably be all over him constantly if that was the case. Surely, he'd rebuff her, but maybe she'd eventually wear him down. And the idea of Cho Min Ji getting her hooks into her fireman was enough to turn Jan Di's stomach.

Omo! Did I just refer to him as 'my fireman?' She lamented.

Ga Eul would be so pleased, but it was way too possessive for even a thought‒especially since they hadn't even been on one date yet and had only been flirting like a couple of crushing teenagers. And that was the problem, wasn't it? They were acting like teenagers; it was all happening too fast, too...uncontrollably.

Kyung Hee walked just ahead of them, chatting amiably with Jung Woo, but the policewoman paused to cast a glance back over her shoulder at Jan Di. Jan Di smiled softly, reassuring her that all was okay. And the group took the elevator down and stepped off into the hotel lobby.

The restaurant, boasting international fare and romantic ambiance, was nestled in a corner of the hotel across from the elevators. There were small tables, mainly for two or three, a bar, and an exterior courtyard with outdoor seating. Some of their colleagues had arrived and most had already veered off into their respective groups, the police officers sitting with the police officers, the EMTs sitting with the EMTs, and so on. That is, aside from Yeong Ho and Hyeon U. The older firefighter and EMT had struck up an instant friendship, likely due to their similar ages, and Jan Di suspected, their penchant for commenting on the behavior of the younger ones. They'd become as bad as two old women gossiping, though subtler, just barely.

The firefighters at the bar got louder when they saw them approach, and they beckoned for Chief Yoon, Jung Woo, and Jan Di to join them. Ji Hoo cast Jan Di a look, but she urged him on instead. "You go. I should talk to my guys." He nodded, looking slightly disappointed, and headed over. To Jan Di's chagrin, Min Ji followed, easing her way into the group of firefighters, who welcomed the blonde bombshell with open arms. Min Ji stuck closest to Ji Hoo, though, causing tumultuous skies to roll in in Jan Di's eyes.

Kyung Hee returned to Jan Di, critically eyeing Min Ji the entire way over. "She's at it already," she commented, sidling up to Jan Di.

"Yeah," Jan Di flatly remarked.

"Well, I guess it's true what they say...wherever there's a hot guy, there's always some hussy ready to take her off."

Jan Di choked on air‒Who says that?‒though it made sense. Kyung Hee looked truly concerned about Jan Di after her little coughing fit, and she patted her back; Jan Di assured her she was fine. When she was able to speak again, she shared a small laugh with Kyung Hee. It was then that they noticed Ji Hoo had looked over, also concerned. Jan Di mouthed to him that she was fine. Min Ji glanced over after that, grinning smugly, and Kyung Hee tried to intercept her gaze by shooting daggers at her.

Jan Di didn't want any drama, so rather than viciously stare down Min Ji, as Kyung Hee was, she made her way over to where Hyeon U, Yeong Ho, and a couple of her less social guys were seated together. Kyung Hee began to follow, but then she caught sight of Myung Hoon at the other end of the bar. He was alone. He saw them, too, and his eyes lit up. Jan Di was pretty sure the look wasn't for her; she grinned to herself. Myung Hoon waved at the two of them, and Jan Di waved back. Then she leaned in close to Kyung Hee. "Go on," she whispered. Kyung Hee's expression was a mixture of uncertainty and concern. "I'm going to talk to my guys, and you…," she lilted, "should talk to your sunbae."

Kyung Hee hesitated. She'd spent countless hours with Bae Myung Hoon at work and outside of. They'd gone out for chicken and drinks as a group many times, but she'd never been in quite this situation‒in a nice restaurant, wearing makeup and a pretty dress. In fact, he'd never seen her dressed in anything other than a uniform or jeans and old t-shirts. She'd found him attractive from the start, but her crush hadn't really begun until he took her out to teach her to drink when she came of age. The other guys had been along, but he and she had shared some time alone at the table. It had been nice, very nice. He'd even taken her home that night, ensuring she was okay before leaving her. And then there was their stakeout almost a year ago… That was when she felt their bond‒and her feelings‒had deepened.

They'd been all alone for hours in a dark car, talking, sharing snacks and a few laughs, and then they'd had a moment… She'd just shared a very private detail about her life with him. He'd stared at her for a moment, in sympathy, or so she thought. Then he'd tucked aside a piece of hair and skimmed the back of his hand along her cheek. She'd thought he was going to kiss her, but he didn't lean in right away, and neither did she. At the time, she'd been worried he was only offering comfort. Not only that, but he was her sergeant by then, so deep down, she knew nothing could come of it. Still, the look in his eyes had strongly suggested he wanted to kiss her. But fearing being humiliated or fired if she was wrong, she'd pulled away, ruining the moment, seemingly forever. Not long after, their suspect had made his appearance, and that was the end of that. They never got the moment back, never came anywhere close to what they almost shared that night. She supposed either she'd been wrong about his intentions or he'd decided against taking the risk. She'd been disappointed and had considered expressing her feelings to him many times since, but maybe it was for the best. Some things are just not meant to be…

Yet, here Jan Di Unnie was encouraging her to talk to him. What did she expect her to say or do? Geum Jan Di seemed to know Myung Hoon very well, but this was so complicated, and she was more than nervous. She didn't think she could stand his rejection!

Kyung Hee's legs felt as if frozen in blocks of ice. She looked up at Jan Di helplessly, and her unnie placed a hand on her shoulder. Somehow, it eased her‒both the physical touch and Geum Jan Di's vote of confidence in her. Should she try, or was it too dangerous to risk losing her job and her friendship with Myung Hoon Sunbae in one fell swoop?

It's not like you and Chief Yoon, Unnie, she thought sullenly. This is different; he's not your superior…

Kyung Hee looked at Jan Di once more‒she was smiling, encouragingly. Kyung Hee tossed her best one back before being pushed in the direction of the bar. She sauntered toward Myung Hoon with confidence, shooting a last glance back at Jan Di, who subtly pumped a 'hwaiting' fist.

Now that she'd sent Kyung Hee off on her mission, Jan Di grabbed a square table for three and sat alone. She wasn't expecting Chief Yoon to come over; although, she wouldn't mind at all if he did. Seated at the table beside her, both Hyeon U and Yeong Ho greeted her. The restaurant was international-style, so there were three place settings, three sets of western silverware and three cloth napkins formed into swans at her table. Rather than hitting a button or calling out to get the waitress's attention, she came over on her own. Dressed in a collared shirt, black pants, and black apron, the young waitress handed Jan Di a menu and asked to take her drink order. Jan Di simply ordered water, which was absent from the table. The woman nodded and went to the bar, returning a moment later with a crystal glass filled with cubed ice and a glass water pitcher. She placed the glass on the table and poured water nearly to the brim. "I'll give you a few minutes," the waitress said. Jan Di nodded.

After the waitress left, she took a sip of her water and opened the menu, perusing it. So many choices from so many countries; it was a bit overwhelming. Glancing over at the older men next to her, she eyed their food. "That looks good." She motioned toward Yeong Ho's plate, containing a breaded chicken topped with a red sauce and cheese, alongside a pile of noodles with sprigs of garnish at the edges. "What is it?"

"It's Italian. Called...chicken parmigiana," the seasoned firefighter said the official name of the dish. Jae Hyun, the rookie firefighter/chef chimed in from a nearby table on the dish's origins and how it was made.

"I didn't ask," Yeong Ho muttered, forking another piece. "I just plan to eat it, whatever's in it." He popped the bite into his mouth. Jae Hyun's resulting exasperation caused Yeong Ho and Hyeon U to exchange a look of barely restrained amusement. Jan Di smiled at the interchange that reminded her so much of that night at the station.

Ultimately, she decided to order the chicken parmigiana, too and informed the waitress. Folding her hands in front of her, Jan Di glanced to the bar. Ji Hoo and Jung Woo were talking, but Ji Hoo's eyes kept darting over. She smiled at him, and that was enough to get him to excuse himself from his present conversation. She couldn't help but grin to herself, almost stupidly, when he began heading toward her. As he approached, though, she put away the grin, replacing it with a more serious expression. "Hello, Chief Yoon," she greeted overly formal.

"Hey," Ji Hoo replied, more casually than she. "How have you been since I last saw you, Captain Geum?" He gave her a lopsided grin.

"You mean, five minutes ago?"

He nodded, then glanced at his watch. "Actually, six minutes twenty seconds, not that I'm counting…" He smiled flirtatiously, and Jan Di's cheeks flushed in response. He then placed his hands on the back of the empty chair next to her and leaned in just a bit. "So, it looks like you're having fun over here."

Jan Di could smell a hint of alcohol on his breath, but it wasn't overwhelming. "Oh, we are," she said. "Jae Hyun was teaching us all about chicken parmigiana, but Yeong Ho didn't seem to care."

"That sounds about right," Ji Hoo said, exchanging a grin with her. Feeling her cheeks heat further, she looked to Jae Hyun. "I found it very interesting and educational, Jae Hyun-ah," she told him.

The younger man smiled widely and turned to glare at Yeong Ho. "See, that's why I like Captain Geum way better than you."

"Do I look like I care, kid?" Yeong Ho grumbled, to which Hyeon U guffawed and clapped his counterpart on the back. The older guys shared another look before bursting into laughter.

Both Jan Di and Ji Hoo were surprised at their normally subdued guys, but they simply shook their heads and focused on each other.

"Were you planning on eating alone?" Ji Hoo asked, tapping the back of the chair between his hands.

"Well, as you can see, I'm not really alone." Jan Di cocked her head toward the guys. "But yeah, I'm fine with it. Although, I wouldn't mind company…" She smirked. "Depending on who's asking..."

"What if I'm asking?" Chief Yoon's face had lost that playful edge, now completely serious.

The corners of Jan Di's lips tilted further up. His seriousness only made her feel more playful. "I guess that would be acceptable," she said in mock formality, waving a passive hand. Ji Hoo smiled and pulled out the chair beside her and took a seat. She was surprised he hadn't chosen the one across from her. Now, she would have to keep rotating her neck to talk to him, but having him close enough to savor the pleasant scent of him made the risk of a neck cramp well worth it.

"Hi." He smiled at her.

"Hi," she replied, smiling shyly, her eyes flitting from side to side.

He motioned toward the empty chair. "Just in case someone else wants to join," he said, excusing his seat choice.

"Oh."

Ji Hoo glanced over at the men beside them. Since they were immersed in a conversation about the old days, he leaned to her side. She caught the hint of his masculine soap and perhaps a dab or two of cologne or aftershave. "Although, I hope they won't...," he whispered, not in her ear, but close enough to make the tips of them burn. Suddenly, she was aware of just how close they were; she wasn't uncomfortable about it, though she wasn't quite sure what she was feeling. Anxious? Excited? Exhilarated?

When Yeong Ho and Hyeon U decided to go for a drink at the bar, inviting Jae Hyun along in afterthought, Jan Di and Ji Hoo were left relatively alone. Ji Hoo situated his chair to where there was a bit more distance between them, probably for her comfort, but he angled it in such a way that he could look directly at her. He rested an elbow on the table and leaned toward her again. "I wanted to tell you that you look beautiful tonight," he spoke softly, even though they were unlikely to be heard over all the noise in the restaurant.

Jan Di played it cool. "You already did."

"Not officially. And nice lip reading, by the way."

She should be able to read his lips by now. She'd spent enough time staring at them. If only she could touch them, too, run her fingers across them or feel them part against hers… She blushed hotly at her own thoughts, hoping he didn't notice.

"Thank you," she said with a strange formality. "For both compliments." Why were her cheeks still so warm?

He gave her a proper look, without allowing his eyes to linger too long. "Nice dress."

"Thanks. It's Kyung Hee's..." For something to do with her hands, she placed the cloth napkin in her lap and twisted it between her fingertips.

"Well, it looks amazing on you." He reached over to touch her left hand that still rested on the table, but only for a few seconds.

Jan Di felt her chest heave. She said nothing but simply stared at him. Chief Yoon had never been quite so outspoken with his compliments before. Or his touch, for that matter. Granted, they were seated together in a romantic restaurant right now, but they weren't exactly alone, and this wasn't a date. It did have the appearance of one to the untrained eye, though. Maybe it was more a date than either of them realized… That would explain her awkwardness. Not knowing what to do or say next, Jan Di let her eyes fall to the tablecloth. She only hoped she wasn't like this on their actual date.

Just then, the waitress came over, giving Jan Di a much-needed reprieve. She brought Ji Hoo a menu and informed Jan Di that her meal would be ready soon. Ji Hoo tossed Jan Di a perfect smile before glancing over the menu. He ended up ordering Pad Thai, explaining he was curious to try it. Goodnaturedly, he commented that Jae Hyun would know all about it, but all he knew was that it was Thai. Jan Di laughed.

Before their food arrived, Jan Di and Ji Hoo spent the majority of the time exchanging furtive glances and talking a little, though not as easily as they normally did. Jan Di was blushing a lot and spent much of her time touching her forehead or cheeks, pretending to brush strands of hair away to make it look purposeful. Each time she did, she could feel the heat radiating off her face. Her body temp must be a million degrees by now. Eventually, she pushed her nerves aside and brought up the books. That got the ball rolling, and Ji Hoo and she found their usual, comfortable stride. It was more difficult, talking to him face-to-face, than over the phone in her bed, but infinitely better. In some ways, anyway. She did really enjoy their nighttime conversations and enjoyed the idea of falling asleep to the soft, deep sound of his voice.

Laughter coming from the bar momentarily diverted their attention, and they both looked over. When she did, Jan Di noticed Myung Hoon, who was very engaged in a conversation with Kyung-Hee. Jan Di smiled. Good girl, Kyung Hee. She had a feeling about those two. As for the other guys, most were preoccupied with the voluptuous blonde bimbo, the female firefighter, Cho Min Ji‒making conversation with her, buying drinks for her. Even Lee Jung Woo was, which surprised her a bit, but she didn't mind at all that his eye had so easily wandered to another woman. In fact, she was happy about it, because she wasn't interested in him, anyway, and it gave her some time alone with Chief Yoon‒Ji Hoo.

Speaking of him… Why was she paying attention to what was going on over there when she had him at her side, all to herself for a change?

"Quite the party going on over there," Ji Hoo commented, breaking her out of it.

"Yeah. I'm not taking you away, am I?"

"Not at all. I'd rather be here talking to you." He accompanied the remark with a smile that made her heart want to burst. And she couldn't stop the huge grin from taking up residence on her face.

"But what about you?" he asked. "You didn't want to join them, did you?"

"Not really. I've never been one for parties," she said.

"Me either."

"I always feel awkward, you know, especially when it's a bunch of people I don't know well." She shrugged and took a sip of her water. "Then I'm either hanging back or going up to some random group and butting in as if I belong there."

"But you do belong with the other EMTs, Jan Di, and with my guys as well. The firefighters love you." Jan Di's cheeks pinkened in response, and she waved him off. "I'm serious," he said. "You're an honorary firefighter now."

Jan Di's mouth formed an 'O.' "Do I get a jacket?" She quirked a brow.

"Sure. Tell you what, I'll even get you a hat."

"What about a helmet?" Jan Di's eyes glinted mischievously.

"If you want." He nodded his head, grinning. "Or, maybe I'll just let you borrow mine sometime…"

She wasn't sure where he was going with that, but the suggestive manner in which he said it suggested he had some picture in his head. She allowed her mind to wander…

Meanwhile, the room had gotten louder, and Ji Hoo had called over to his guys, warning them not to drink too much because of the training tomorrow.

"That goes for my guys, too!" Jan Di chimed in.

A resounding mix of "Yes, Chief!" and "Yes, Captain!" echoed from the group.

Neither wanted to spoil the guys' fun, but a hungover group of emergency professionals at the National Fire Academy's special training would not fly with the officers there.

Moments later, their food was brought, and Jan Di and Ji Hoo dug in. They traded food and conversation, happily discussing books, music, and whatever nonsense popped into their heads. Jan Di couldn't recall having a more enjoyable evening in a long time. She felt lighthearted, though she wished Ji Hoo would touch her hand again. The last time had been so brief it'd almost seemed accidental. And now, his hand lay so close to hers on the ivory-colored linen that it would be nothing for them to 'accidentally' brush again. She kept looking at it. Quickly, she glanced to the bar, checking to see that all were otherwise engaged…Aside from Cho Min Ji occasionally tossing her dirty looks, everyone was preoccupied, so she took the initiative and inched her fingers closer to his.

Ji Hoo took the hint right away, skimming her fingers with the pads of his own. He gave a couple of delicate before retracting his hand. She missed the lack of skin-to-skin contact immediately; it was obvious from the tiny disappointed groan she released. That was enough to clue Ji Hoo in, and a split-second later, his hand was atop hers, covering it completely. Jan Di involuntarily shivered, blaming it on the chill in the room. Always the gentleman, he responded by promptly removing his jacket. But she refused it‒that would be the move of a boyfriend. It would seem too suspicious, and the others were already suspicious enough, given that nearly all of their moments together had taken place smack dab in front of the firefighters, the EMTs, or both.

Admittedly, Jan Di was concerned about keeping this attraction between Chief Yoon and her a secret, at least for now, but her heart soared at the thought of one day being able to call him her boyfriend…

Tonight, he was certainly acting like a boyfriend, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't pleased. As further evidence, he slipped a few more noodles onto her plate. She thanked him, twirled them around her fork, and slurped them down.

They continued talking and smiling flirtatiously at one another, until one of them‒Jan Di couldn't be sure who had the idea first‒dropped their hand below the table. The other followed suit, and before she knew it, their fingers were laced beneath the tablecloth. She felt a frisson of electricity course through her veins, sending pleasant spurts of energy throughout her spine and up her thighs. Ji Hoo gently traced each small bone of her hand, making her tingle.

Lightheaded‒and the half-glass of wine offered as a sample had nothing to do with it‒Jan Di had a thought. She kept having the same one over and over, that she wanted to get out of here, together. She wanted to slip away somewhere quiet to be alone with him. Internally, she scolded herself. This was happening way too fast, wasn't it? It wasn't like she planned to drag him off to her currently empty hotel room as Min Ji would‒well, a little if she was being totally honest with herself… But no, she just wanted the rare treat of having him all to herself, even if just for a few moments.

Jan Di surveyed the restaurant, the bar and the surrounding tables where some of the guys had sat down, mind racing and eyes darting with her diabolical plan afoot. No one was really paying much attention to them; although, a few glanced over when she looked. They had the decency to simply smile and look away, though. She had noticed a look or two earlier, but she honestly, hadn't been paying much attention to anyone besides Ji Hoo.

They were already the subject of gossip, and there'd surely be more, especially if they slipped away together. But right now, Jan Di couldn't care less. Both knew how this must appear, them sitting so close, leaning in, smiling often, him occasionally grazing her hand with his, and sharing food. And if they could see what was going on beneath the table… They must look every bit the couple, and they'd surely hear about it later, but for now, everyone was leaving them be. Even Cho Min Ji, who Jan Di had long since ignored the scowls of, hadn't attempted to come over and interrupt. How did that happen? Was she so preoccupied with all the men fawning over her? Jan Di would've thought she'd have to be tied down to leave Ji Hoo be.

Jan Di quickly lost all sanity while Ji Hoo fondled her hand below the table. She smiled at him so wide her face nearly split and attempted to start another topic of discussion, but her voice came out shaky. She was far too distracted. When his fingers grazed her palm, her knees went weak. He noticed and moved on to her wrist, lightly tracing patterns there. And then, she gave up, sighing pleasurably. She forewent embarrassment, and growing bold, joined in the dance of fingers. Even if they weren't completely alone, this was bliss.

"How about we go somewhere else?" Ji Hoo suggested, squeezing her hand determinedly underneath the table.

He'd read her mind again. How does he do that?!

She nodded dumbly, and he dropped her hand, much to her chagrin. Ji Hoo wasted no time in paying for the both of them, which she couldn't even argue about, and they stood, preparing to leave.

"Where ya goin', Chief?" Sung Jin sang out. Ji Hoo inwardly groaned at having been caught and shoved his hands into his pockets. He'd hoped they could slip away quietly without explanation, but no such luck.

Everyone's attention was on them now. Some repeated Sung Jin's question; some asked if Captain Geum was also leaving or wiggled their eyebrows suggestively, and some begged them to stay a little longer and come join them.

"I'm going to walk Captain Geum to her room," he said plainly.

Mistake.

The simple sentence elicited whistles and catcalls galore, and Ji Hoo was ready to murder them all. But they'd be punished enough at training tomorrow, at least those who'd not heeded his advice about drinking. He wasn't going to worry about that right now, though. He glanced at Jan Di, and for a second, she looked embarrassed. He was ready to stand up for her when her voice rang out, bold and demanding, "You guys got something to say to me?!"

Fervent "No, Captain Geums" were heard around the room, and Jan Di stared them down for at least five extra-long seconds before her stern expression faded into a smile. She laughed, and Ji Hoo chuckled alongside her while shaking his head at the group of idiots.

They quieted down after that, most getting the picture that Jan Di and Ji Hoo wanted to be alone; although, some made a few more attempts at getting them to stay. Min Ji shot Ji Hoo a last sultry look, beckoning him with her artificially-colored eyes and a curl of her finger. It gave Jan Di great satisfaction to see him ignore her entirely. She did, however, feel a little bad when she caught a glimpse of the look on Jung Woo's face. At least she'd been upfront with him about her lack of interest, and for now, he had Min Ji as a distraction, not that Jan Di liked the idea of her messing with Jung Woo, either, or anyone decent for that matter.

Ji Hoo addressed the firefighters one last time. "Okay, we're leaving. My guys, I know you're off duty, and I'm not your father, but I expect you to behave properly tonight. Don't make any trouble for the hotel. And I advise you all to cool it with the drinking and get some rest because I expect you to be prompt and alert in the morning. We meet down here at 6:45 AM, sharp."

She loved it when he got stern.

Jan Di fought her grin, echoing Chief Yoon's words to her guys. They all voiced agreement or nodded and said their goodnights, and when no one was watching, Ji Hoo and Jan Di slipped out into the hotel courtyard.

The courtyard was surrounded by topiaries and softly lit by lanterns, the interior a bright amber by contrast. There were small tables and wicker chairs outside, and the name of the restaurant was plastered into the side of the wall over their heads in big, block English letters.

"I thought we'd take the long way back to your room." Ji Hoo smiled down at her, his graceful features softly illuminated by the lantern light.

"Great idea," she replied, flushing lightly.

Fortunately, they had the courtyard all to themselves, probably because of the chill in the air. But it was so peaceful and quiet they decided to go for a walk. They wandered silently around, not holding hands at first, but when their fingers brushed, they made no attempt to stop it and intertwined their fingers. Joyfully, they walked along a path, underneath a pergola covered with hanging vines, and to the edge of the hotel property. The sun had only just set, painting the evening sky a rich violet color. The mountain peaks were as tracings dyed indigo and lavender against the purple-hued backdrop.

Jan Di took a few steps forward to lean against the cool, black railing separating the hotel from the rest of the city. Folding her arms, she rested her chin atop her hand and stared out, past the manicured evergreens, either juniper or pine, and out to the sea. Growing nostalgic, she pushed back thoughts of her father, who'd always so enjoyed nature's beauty. When she caught sight of the twin pillared, v-shaped Monument to the Nation, she fixed her eyes on it, thinking it would be nice to see it up close; although, she wasn't sure if there'd be time on this trip.

Ji Hoo gave her space for a couple of minutes, then sidled up next to her. His glance drifted between the scenery and her, settling more often on her. He simply couldn't help but find Geum Jan Di fascinating. There were so many facets to this woman. She could be soft as a petal, like now‒he watched her gaze out across the horizon with an almost childlike innocence‒or fierce as a lioness. That got him thinking about the first time he saw her…

Her words brought him back to the present. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Jan Di didn't normally spout this kind of nonsense, but she'd had just enough alcohol to make her dreamy. Or, perhaps it was Chief Yoon. He always seemed to provoke these kinds of feelings in her, far more than any drink.

You're beautiful, was what crossed his mind. She always was, had been from the start. And tonight, she was pure radiance. There was just something about her standing there in that dress, cute and modest, with the vivid sky and awakening stars as her background.

He was such a pathetic sap.

But truly, he'd never seen her look so beautiful. And that was saying a lot. Obviously, he'd thought her striking the first time he saw her, and then there was the night she'd taken care of him… She'd been dressed up then, but he hadn't been able to fully appreciate it. He could hardly even remember what she was wearing, being delirious with fever as he was.

Their blind date. That reminded him…

Ji Hoo opened his mouth, nearly spilling everything to Jan Di about how he was supposed to be her date that night. But he stopped himself. It wasn't that he was never going to confess it to her; he did plan on telling her, perhaps even accompanying the admission with a bit about how it must have been fate. She'd probably laugh in his face over that. She probably didn't believe in fate, and he wasn't so sure he did, either. If he told her now, though, he'd have to explain‒about the circumstances and why he hadn't told her sooner. She might even get angry with him, and right now, he just wanted to enjoy this moment with her.

It was a chilly night, but Jan Di didn't want to go inside. This was too pleasant, and she wasn't ready for it to end. Shivering involuntarily, she crossed her arms and rubbed them briskly. Without a word, Ji Hoo was standing behind her. "What are you…?" she asked, turning to see what he was doing. His jacket was off, and he was draping it over her shoulders.

"You can't refuse it this time," he said, his voice husky.

She didn't try to, but rather, hugged the jacket tighter, enjoying his lingering scent. She turned completely to face him. "Thank you, Chief Yoon," she said, shyly glancing down at her feet.

When he took a step closer, her eyes shot back up to his face. He was not so close that she felt the instinct to back away; instead, she felt like closing the distance, but she didn't know if she should. There was a delicate balance between them right now, like the end of a game of chess‒and one wrong move could cost the game.

"What do I have to do to get you to say my name?" Ji Hoo asked with a playful smirk. Jan Di was suddenly reminded of her dream, and her cheeks heated to a boil in seconds.

"You know, you really don't have to be so formal with me," Ji Hoo said. He knew Jan Di was very serious about her job and was all about showing proper respect, so perhaps a compromise... "At least, when it's just us, you can call me by my name."

Somehow, Jan Di's cheeks grew hotter still. She'd called him 'Ji Hoo' a few times, but those situations had been different. He'd either been upset or ill or they'd been on the phone. For some reason, she just couldn't say it right now. Why was it so hard? They'd fought; they'd flirted; they'd spouted poetry from books to one another, but she couldn't even say his name?! Perhaps, it was being here, so close and looking into his eyes that made it near impossible to speak it, or anything else, for that matter.

"I mean, we are...friends, right?" he said.

Friends? Was that all she was to him? No, he wouldn't have asked her out if that was all they were‒it hadn't sounded like a casual 'let's hang out, buddy' type of ask-out. If that's all there was, he wouldn't have held her hand tonight or be looking into her eyes the way he was. And then there was the way he'd paused before the word 'friends,' as if to suggest much, much more.

"Yes. We're friends," she answered coolly. For now, that's what they were‒friends. At least, until one of them crossed the line…

"Good," he said, though she wasn't entirely sure how to take it. "So, I figure, when we're on duty you can call me Chief Yoon, and I'll call you Captain Geum, if it makes you more comfortable, but when we're off duty, you're certainly free to refer to me by name."

"Okay." She bobbed her head up and down. It seemed like a good plan. After all, even the smallest piece of information could get the guys talking, and she didn't want to deal with that. They didn't need to have more of a field day with their interactions than they were already having.

Relaxing a little, Jan Di scanned Ji Hoo's figure. He looked good in formal wear, not that he didn't look good in his uniform or casual wear or anything else, for that matter. And her eyes couldn't help but wander. Jacketless now, she took in the way his white button-down molded to the muscles of his arms, chest, and stomach. When her gaze dropped a bit lower, she snapped it back up to his face, blushing furiously. No, Jan Di. Just, no.

Ji Hoo tilted his head curiously to the side, silently asking, "What are you thinking?"

She shook her head as if to say, "Not in a million years will I tell you."

So, Ji Hoo resigned himself. Taking a step forward, he placed his large hands on the shoulders of his jacket and began running them back and forth across her shoulders, occasionally brushing the exposed skin at the base of her neck.

Jan Di felt woozy, her head clouded by more than the tiny amount of alcohol in her system; there was an extra fuzziness welling up. She knew what it was the second her mind crafted the thought, something she should have seen coming but that completely snuck up on her, nonetheless. She hadn't expected to feel this way again, not so soon… And now, she was approaching that point of no return in her heart, so she either needed to push forward or turn back, before it was too late.

"I might be falling in love with you..." She confessed it to him with her eyes only, either out of fear it was too fast or expecting him to decipher her thoughts like he was so good at. But then, in a moment of boldness, she reached out and touched him. "Ji Hoo…" He immediately placed his warm hand over hers, holding it against his cool cheek.

Ji Hoo would never forget her gentle touch, how she'd treated his wound at their first meeting, how she'd cared for him when he was sick. This woman was incredible. Whether showing a hard exterior or softer inside, she was a precious gemstone at the core. And he, well, he was already head-over-heels.

"Jan Di…" His hand lingered a moment before sliding down to capture her wrist. He brought her arm down to her side and laced his fingers with hers for the third time that night. Then he took her other hand in his and stepped closer.

There was so much he wanted to say to her‒about his thoughts and dreams and feelings‒but not yet. He didn't want to lay it on too thick too soon. He'd bide his time. If there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his patience; he knew how to wait for what he wanted.

But then again, perfect‒even near-perfect‒moments don't come along every day, and they shouldn't be ignored. He recalled someone from his past saying this once; she'd said that an opportunity is like making a purchase in a foreign country‒if you don't take it right then, it's lost forever. Shopping metaphor aside, this rang true with Ji Hoo. He'd let plenty of opportunities slip by in the past, but no longer.

As for that person who'd given the pearl of wisdom, it no longer pained him to think of her. She was sweet, beautiful, and he'd truly loved her, but his feelings for her were in the past. Jan Di had been instrumental in that. While that person had crept out of his thoughts, she'd crept in, pushing his former lover even further back into the recesses of his mind. And that was the way it worked, wasn't it? Someone new always comes along to take the place of the old. But Jan Di wasn't his rebound girl. He had to admit he'd had a rebound date or two, but this was so far removed from that, it wasn't even on the map. He recalled that before Jan Di, when someone would ask if he'd moved on, he was always lying when he said 'yes,' but at last, he could mean it.

Finally realizing that, and thinking on missed opportunities, Ji Hoo made a decision. This moment felt like one he better not let pass, so he took a deep breath and raised her hands up, pressing them against his chest, the right one over his heart where she was certain to feel the drumming inside. His lips parted slowly but surely, and he told her, "I don't want to wait."

"Wh-what?"

Oh, how that must have sounded!

She wasn't in his head, so surely, she was confused. He squeezed her trembling hands comfortingly. "For next week. Our date," he clarified.

"Ohhh." She laughed a little and blushed. He smiled.

"Yeah, so…" His face grew serious. "I thought I could wait, but now…," he leaned in to whisper the last part, "I don't want to." He released her hands, expecting her to drop them to her side, perhaps slap him for the insinuation, but instead, she rested them against his chest. "That is...if you haven't changed your mind," he added.

Ji Hoo's voice was sweet as honey and thick as molasses when he asked if she'd changed her mind. About the date? About him? What could possibly make him think she'd changed her mind about any of it? If anything, her feelings were stronger.

She shook her head. "I haven't," she assured, curling her fingers into the fabric of his shirt.

Ji Hoo gifted her with that flawless smile of his and leaned in closer, his bangs brushing her forehead. Nerves temporarily banished, she slid her arms up his chest to wind around his neck. From her vantage point, she took in his face, eyes flitting from his eyes to his nose to his lips and settling there. And she wanted to live in this moment forever…

"It, uh, kinda feels like…," Jan Di swallowed the lump in , "...we're on one now."

He responded by snaking his arms around her waist, and she was growing warmer all the time.

"You know, unofficially…," she muttered.

"Unofficially," he confirmed. "I'll plan something better for our 'official' date," he promised, nuzzling noses with her.

Jan Di felt the burning shoot from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She raised up on them a bit, and he pulled her even closer, bending her back slightly. "Well, this is pretty nice…," her voice was coming out breathier and more labored, "it's hard to imagine…" It was hard to imagine it getting better on a 'real' date, but there were still so many things she wanted to experience with him…

"Jan Di…?"

She felt his hot breath against her lips while he studied them. All she could do was utter, "Mmm?"

"Even though it's unofficial…," he began, seemingly memorizing her lips and she his. She was fairly certain he planned on kissing her, but he'd frozen. Waiting for permission, she assumed. And she definitely wanted him to continue, so she blinked her assent and closed her eyes.

This was it…

Her last move said it all, and Ji Hoo dipped his head, his lips slowly approaching hers… But before impact could be made, boisterous laughter slammed into them like a brick wall. They broke apart, dropping their hands and snapping their heads in the direction of the noise. Several men and women, none of theirs, had entered the courtyard. All were laughing and talking loudly, and they'd completely spoiled the mood.

Defeated, Ji Hoo placed a hand on Jan Di's cheek. He sighed. "I'll walk you back to your room."

. . .

They made it back to Jan Di's room and lingered outside the door. She stalled with producing her key, even pretended she couldn't get it in the slot, but to her chagrin, he didn't try to kiss her goodnight. He only ran a hand along her arm, squeezed it, and wished her pleasant dreams. Once inside her empty room, she groaned loudly and dropped her head back, banging it against the door.

"Ow." She rubbed the back of her head, but she didn't care about the pain. "Why didn't he try to kiss me?" she wondered aloud. Sure, the moment had been ruined, but he still could've kissed her at the door. No one was in the hall. She sighed, thinking he'd changed his mind altogether.

. . .

After Ji Hoo entered his room and shut the door, he sighed heavily. Then he made his way to his bed; he sat on the edge of it, leaned forward and placed his head between his hands. He already regretted not kissing Jan Di. "Idiot," he muttered.

. . .

Jan Di readied for bed. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and slipped into the pair of pajama bottoms and tee she'd brought, all the while replaying the events of the evening in her mind. It'd been so perfect (aside from the interruptions) that it had temporarily taken her mind off the emotions and memories evoked by seeing Myung Hoon again. She shook her head rapidly, deciding not to go there, and instead, basked in the bliss of her evening with Chief Yoon, while trying to ignore the disappointment she felt over him not kissing her goodnight.

Her roommates still weren't back, and it was nearly eleven. Oh well. They're big girls, she thought. Catching sight of the training manual peeking out of her bag, she grabbed it and slipped into bed. She'd already read through it but thought she should peruse it once more before tomorrow. She reviewed the end of the emergency services portion and began taking the practice exam in the back, but she kept getting distracted. She kept thinking about Chief Yoon‒what he was doing now, if he was thinking about her… She imagined he was preparing for bed, maybe even asleep already, or in the shower… She wanted to message him, but they'd already said goodnight, so she needed a good excuse for possibly disturbing him. She reached for her phone on the bedside table and brought up the message thread between them. She scrolled through their last conversation with one hand, drumming her other antsily on the bed. "What to say…?"

Gripping her phone tightly, she began to type. "No," she shook her head, "that's stupid." She quickly deleted it.

She tried again. "...Nope, desperate." She groaned.

And a third time. "Ahhh, stupid and desperate!" she shrieked, dropping her phone in her lap in frustration.

Why couldn't she come up with something clever? Apparently, her head was suddenly occupied by air rather than a brain because she was coming up with things like: "Could you show me how to change the temperature in my room?" and "I heard a strange noise!" and "I think this should count as an official date, so you owe me a goodnight kiss!"

She finally thought of something neutral enough. She picked up her phone and wrote it: "I was looking over the training manual, and…" And...? And what?! Jan Di rapped on her empty head. "...and...I wanted to get your input on something."

It was a pretty flimsy excuse but her best attempt yet. Her finger hovered over the send, but she just couldn't press it. Once more, she deleted every piece of text, and she set her phone down on the table. Making a noise that sounded like a wounded animal, she flopped back onto the bed. She rolled onto her side and crammed her face into the pillow, squishing it around her face as if trying to snuff out her frustration by smothering herself.

And then she heard a ding. She bolted upright, nearly falling out of bed. After regaining her balance, she snapped her head toward her phone. She reached for it again, but in the process, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror across the room. She had pillow head, hair sticking out every which way, and she basically looked clinically insane‒and felt it. Sighing, she fumbled for the cell, catching it with the tips of her fingers only and knocking it to the floor. She growled and hung over the side bed, patting around for the phone. She discovered it'd tumbled under the bed and retrieved it. Seating herself cross legged on the edge of the bed, she examined her phone to make sure it hadn't broken‒it was no worse for the wear, thanks to the carpet. Then she garnered her composure and opened the messenger app.

Her lips parted in the hope that it was him...and it was! There was a message from Chief Yoon‒she should really change his name in her phone…

Chief Yoon: Are you sleeping?

She could practically hear the whisper in his voice as if to avoid disturbing her. She smiled.

Jan Di: No, not yet.

There was an approximately one-minute delay like he didn't know how to keep the conversation going. She didn't really, either.

Chief Yoon: How's your room?

Jan Di: It's nice. Yours?

He responded that his was nice, too.

Most boring conversation ever, she thought. They could do better than this! They had done better than this, many nights, for crying out loud. She blamed herself more than him. She should be coming up with something incredibly witty to write to him, but nada. Although, despite how basic it was, Jan Di felt her body tingle with each generic ding of her phone.

Chief Yoon: Did your roommates return. . . .?

Hm, dot dot dot…

Jan Di grinned and blushed a little at his use of the ellipsis. He didn't normally type like that. Was he hinting at something? No. Surely, she was just imagining it. Cool it, Jan Di.

She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath before proceeding.

Jan Di: No, they haven't. Yours?

She didn't know what else to do but add the last part; she was truly wondering where he was going with this. Was it just idle chit chat? If so, she didn't mind because talking to him, even about dull subjects like the weather was infinitely better than not talking to him at all.

Chief Yoon: No, Jung Woo is still downstairs.

A couple of seconds later, another message came through.

Chief Yoon: I may need to drag his body back here at some point.

He added a winking face, and Jan Di grinned at his use of the cute emoji. Not his style, but he had tended to be cuter with her as of late.

Jan Di: I don't envy you that, but you're strong.

She added a smiley emoji then shook her head. More silly flirting. Yet, her grin was widening to a chasm.

Chief Yoon: Thank you. (Grinning emoji)

Jan Di fell back against the pillow, a lopsided smile on her face.

Jan Di: So, tonight was nice…

Now, she was doing it. The dot dot dot thing. And he could fill in the blanks as he wished…Let's do it again sometime; But I wasn't ready for it to end; But you didn't kiss me goodnight, you babo…

This time, he took a bit longer to reply.

Chief Yoon: Yes, it was.

She sensed him hesitating.

Chief Yoon: I'm sorry we were interrupted.

At that, Jan Di felt her heart thump. It took her nearly two minutes, but she worked up the courage to say, "Me, too."

He didn't respond with any emojis, but she was feeling bolder, so she followed up…

Jan Di: Maybe the longer we wait, the better it will be…

She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to believe she'd actually said that. His reply was almost instantaneous.

Chief Yoon: It's hard to imagine it being anything short of amazing no matter how much time passes.

Jan Di's heart was pounding harder and more rapidly. She assumed he meant the kiss, but the answer could entail so much.

Ah, this man will be the death of me!

She wanted to see him; she almost needed to see him! But how could she let him know without saying it directly? She carefully deliberated.

Dating is so difficult! She ranted in her head. The games, the tangled webs, the questions of does he/she like me and how much… Jan Di wasn't the game-playing type, nor did Chief Yoon seem to be, but when she considered it, it wasn't about games but rather...finesse. There was a certain social protocol to be followed, a general decency, but she just kept thinking about his earlier words‒"I don't want to wait."

Well, I don't want to wait, either, so come ravish me!

Jan Di blushed wildly at the thought. That was taking it way too far‒she wasn't Cho Min Ji! And speaking of her, she and Kyung Hee would surely be back soon, so there was no time for much of anything. She heaved a sigh, suddenly annoyed with herself for letting Chief Yoon unhinge her so much. It was like the slightest thought or mention of him sent her over the deep end, her earlier and most recent physical and mental spasms being proof of that.

Still, 'you only live once,' 'carpe diem,' 'take what you can get…' A few other cliched inspirational phrases resounded in her head, nudging her into going for it. She contemplated asking something like, "So, since we're both alone, maybe we could keep each other company."

That sounded too suggestive, perhaps something a little more innocuous…

"Wanna hang out?" They both sent the exact same message almost simultaneously.

Jan Di's eyes widened at the coincidence, and then she smiled widely.

"Is it okay if I come over?" Ji Hoo followed up with.

At that, Jan Di leaped out of bed, phone clutched in hand. She stopped after catching herself in the mirror again. Turning to fully see her reflection, her face contorted in disgust. He couldn't see her like this, looking like she'd survived a hurricane but her hair hadn't, and in her pajamas! She began frantically smoothing down her dark, tangled tresses only to realize she hadn't answered him yet. She started to type 'Yes' but changed her mind. All she needed was for Min Ji and Kyung Hee to show up while Ji Hoo was in the room for her to never hear the end of it.

"Why don't I come over there? If that's okay?" she messaged back, fingers trembling lightly.

Right away, he agreed.

"Okay. I'll be over in five," she told him.

Jan Di giggled, and seconds later, suffered a small shame spiral. What am I doing? What will he think of me?! Surely, he saw through this 'hanging out' ploy and could probably read the urgency in her texts between the lines. But then, he'd suggested the same, so he clearly wanted to see her, too.

She didn't know what to expect or what she really wanted to happen‒a kiss, maybe…

Before she could talk herself out of it, she went to change. Doubts dwindling and growing giddier by the second, she rushed over to her suitcase. She had a brief fashion crisis but pushed it aside due to the brief time she had to see him, and she chose a pair of jeans and a nice, yet casual green blouse. Her euphoria wore off slightly while she removed her pajamas. She tossed them onto the bed in a heap and slipped into her jeans, grumbling the entire time about how ridiculous she was being. She'd gotten so worked up over seeing him again and possibly getting that precious kiss of hers. She was acting like a high schooler (or maybe below)! She smacked herself on the forehead, causing her pants to slide down her legs; she caught them, hoisted them up, and buttoned and zipped. Then she put on her bra and shirt and surveyed herself in the mirror. She smoothed out her hair a final time.

Well, this will have to do. She didn't want to appear to be trying too hard. She patted her cheeks, slid her phone into her back pocket, and headed for the door. As an afterthought, she grabbed the training manual. It might make for a good icebreaker or tension reliever...

Ji Hoo had cringed the second he sent the message asking Jan Di to hang out. He'd taken a big risk, that she wouldn't think he was after something she probably wasn't ready to give him (if she ever would be), but honestly, he just wanted to see her. He didn't really care if something happened or not, though he'd like it if it did. To his delight, she'd sent the exact same message at practically the very second. Were their minds so alike? Were they so perfectly in tune with one another? His face practically split with joy.

He lost no time in straightening up his hotel room. He was very organized and tidy, but Jung Woo, not so much, so Ji Hoo tried to make the place presentable as quickly as he could. Afterward, he checked himself in the mirror. He was still in the clothes he'd worn tonight, but he'd taken off his jacket and tie and hung them up, leaving him in the white button-down and dress slacks. His shirt was a bit wrinkled, but he couldn't do much about that at this point, so he smoothed out his collar, buttoned the couple buttons at the top he'd undone, and unrolled and buttoned the sleeves, which he'd rolled up for comfort's sake. The sleeves were quite wrinkled, though, so he decided to roll them back up.

When he heard her knock, soft but confident‒just like her‒he answered. Jan Di was standing there, doe-eyed, wearing a cute outfit and an uneasy smile, and she had the...manual? in her hands. She looked so adorable it took all of his willpower not to grab her by the waist, pull her inside, and crush her up against him.

For Jan Di's part, she'd had a similar urge, to drop the book so she could grab him by the collar, and tug him down to meet her lips. Not in the hall, though.

After several electrically-charged seconds, he asked her to come in, in a thick voice.

"Thank you," she replied before demurely lowering her head and hastening past him. He followed her in, tucking his hands into his pockets. He watched her stand in the middle of the room, surveying it.

They were standing at least ten feet away, Ji Hoo approaching her as cautiously as if she were a frightened fawn in the woods. Seconds later, he stopped and beckoned for her to sit.

"Uh, which one is yours?" she asked, motioning to the beds. Her cheeks instantly heated up. What did that matter? She turned away, reeling over making such a stupid and possibly leading comment. When she grew bold enough to peer back at him, he stood rigid with his hands in his pockets. He removed one hand to rake through his tawny hair, then pointed. "Uh, that one."

Of course. His was pristine, untouched, whereas the other was mussed. It was probably the maid's doing, and he simply hadn't used it yet, but somehow, she felt she should've known which was his‒Chief Yoon was always so neat. Honestly, the man was every woman's dream come true! Did he also cook, do the dishes, and give lengthy back rubs? Interestingly, Jan Di's mind wandered a different direction...she was actually very eager to discover some flaw in him, nothing too horrible, just a small endearing quirk to humanize him a little.

Jan Di stared long and hard at his bed. He simply let her, saying nothing. After beginning to feel like an idiot, she plopped onto the edge of the other bed, the messy one, Jung Woo's, only because it was further away, and she was feeling nervous. Good one, Jan Di! Go to a man's hotel room, ask him which one is his bed, and then sit on the other guy's! She was definitely sending mixed signals.

It didn't seem to matter to Ji Hoo, though, and he almost seemed to expect it. He followed suit, taking a seat on his own bed, and they just sat there, staring out ahead. It felt like one of those American movies from the 50s where the couple sleeps in separate beds. That got Jan Di thinking about 'couples...' She patted her legs nervously.

Ji Hoo folded his hands and leaned forward slightly, finally turning his head to look at her. She did the same, and they both opened their mouths to speak, but nothing came out. It took them a few tries, but they were able to get a few words out and eventually strike up a conversation, though it lagged way more than usual.

Why were they being this way? Jan Di wondered. Things had been so easy before. They could talk comfortably and be within arms' reach of each other before. So, what had changed? She quickly realized it was the notion of more than friendship coming into play that had done it. They were standing at a precipice now.

Here they were, alone in a hotel room, with uncharted territory before them. Both knew they were here for a certain purpose, but could they go through with it? When Jan Di thought about it, what was the harm in a little kissing, really? That was teenage stuff, and they were consenting adults. She ruminated on it, seeing the problems to be twofold, that she didn't know how to start, and she didn't know if she could stop once they'd begun...

So, she did the only thing she could think to ease the tension‒she grabbed the training manual she'd set beside her on the bed. "So, are you prepared for tomorrow, Chief Yoon?" She tapped the manual, quirking a brow.

He nodded. "I think so."

"You think so? Well, I don't know if that's good enough." Her playful countenance had returned, and with it, her confidence.

"What do you suggest, Captain Geum?" He slid his finger tantalizingly over his soft-looking lips.

The motion momentarily threw Jan Di; she in some air and continued. "Why don't we review it...together?"

Ji Hoo nodded readily. "That's a great idea." He watched her for a moment. "So, how will this work? Will you quiz me? Because I think…," he grinned a little, "we might need to be closer to share..."

Jan Di lowered her head, chewing her lip thoughtfully. Her head shot back up. "Don't you have your own?" she accused.

"I do." He seemed a little disappointed as he stood and went to retrieve his own manual, and she felt bad. Was she so nervous about being close to him that she couldn't do something as simple as share her manual with him? She sighed at the golden opportunity (to be close to him) she'd let slip by, and she watched him walk away, almost longingly. He grabbed the manual and a pair of black-rimmed glasses. He gingerly placed the glasses on his nose; whether for function or effect, it made Jan Di's stomach flip.

This should be illegal! She thought. The man was strong, brave, kind, and impossibly handsome, and now he was adding glasses to the mix?! Did he do it on purpose? She already knew him to be intelligent and sophisticated, and now he was dealing her the crushing blow of looking the part by slipping on a pair of glasses. She could feel a pulsing in her lower extremities… He might as well have taken his shirt off, for every woman knows a man in glasses is a complete turn-on. Well, maybe the shirt thing would've been even more effective… She shook the thought off immediately.

"I didn't know you wore glasses, Chief Yoon," she asked innocently, keeping her voice as steady as possible.

"Oh, well, I don't wear them much. Just sometimes in the evenings, to give my eyes a rest. Why, do they look geeky?" he asked sincerely.

"Not at all. They're cu‒" She cut herself off. She was just glad she'd almost said 'cute' and not 'y,' because they were that, too.

He was still standing, leaning against the table and grinning at her. Before he could tease, she instructed, "Let's begin."

Ji Hoo nodded and took a seat, this time in the chair facing her. He crossed his leg and rested the manual against his knee. "Alright, what's first, Seonsaengnim?" he asked in the most adorable way.

She did her best to ignore the extra notch he'd taken the cuteness factor up, but she laughed, anyway. Then her eyes quickly shot down to the manual in her lap, for he was closer in proximity now, and far too cute and y to look at for very long. "Erm…" She flipped open the manual to a random page, landing on the section detailing the CPR technique.

"Oh, okay. Well...the new CPR technique...it's on page 12." Ji Hoo turned his manual to the page like a good student while she pretended to study the technique she already knew like the back of her hand. "They've, um, made a few revisions, so...I was thinking I should practice it, but I don't have a dummy."

"Ah, your purpose is clear now," he said. She looked up at him. His eyes squinted with mirth behind his glasses. "You want me to be your dummy."

Jan Di almost laughed out loud but instead tossed him a sly grin. "You're no dummy, Chief Yoon, but you'll do."

He chuckled. "Okay, I concede. But first, one question."

"Yes…?"

"Didn't you agree to call me by name when it's just us?" He arched an accusatory brow.

"Yes," she answered quickly. "But this is work-related, so I think we should stick to being...professional."

"Alright." That put him in his place.

"So…" Jan Di picked at the corner of the manual, feeling embarrassed and guilty about being so short with him. When she glanced up at him, he was watching her closely. "I guess you should...lie down, then." She barely squeaked out the last part.

Ji Hoo nodded, then took off his glasses and placed them and the manual on the table behind him. And he stood. "Where do you want me?" he asked. So many answers to that question! Jan Di blushed yet again. "Floor or bed?"

Her eyes trailed up his body to his face. "Well, um…" She cleared . "I think you'll be more comfortable on the bed, won't you?" she asked, avoiding eye contact at the last part.

Daring another glance, she saw he'd cocked his head to the side in mild amusement. Oh, she could only imagine the things rolling around in his mind! He fixed her with a serious gaze, seeming to silently ask, "We're really going to do this?"

Yes. She'd started this, and she would follow through.

After a short but heavy stare down, Jan Di broke it, pointing to his bed. The corner of his mouth twitched, and his eyes danced in amusement. She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, would you just get on the bed already?!" she demanded. As soon as she said it, she squeezed her eyes shut. "I, uh, didn't mean...that!"

The hint of a pearly smile peeked through as Ji Hoo made his way toward the bed. "...Let me know when you do," he rasped under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." He glimpsed her over his shoulder just prior to sitting, and Jan Di swore she caught the hint of a blush on his cheeks. And she was pleased by it. Not because it was cute; although, it was, but because he'd already gotten too much amusement at her expense tonight. It was nice to see the tables turned.

"So, we should get down to business," Ji Hoo said, clearing his throat. Well, his comment was just as suggestive as hers, but he moved quickly past it. He sat and swung his legs up over the side of the bed. Lying flat on his back, just below the set of pillows, he turned to look at her.

"Um, do you want me to…? I could...go for the mask in my pack if you want." She was stalling more than anything.

It took all Ji Hoo's might to refrain from bursting into laughter. She was actually concerned about putting on his while performing CPR, yet they'd nearly kissed tonight and were going on a date next week. She was really too cute and innocent for words. He considered teasingly asking if she was worried about spreading her germs to him or vice versa, but he decided to behave. "It's not necessary," he said. "That is unless you need or want…"

She shook her head, perhaps too readily. "No, I don't."

"Okay, then." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Ready?"

Jan Di stood, placing the manual page-down on Jung Woo's bed. She turned away slightly and discreetly wiped her palms on her jeans. "Ready," she said, turning back around. He shut his eyes and pretended to be unconscious. Jan Di took a deep breath and slowly approached the bed. He was lying so still, looking peaceful and...perfect. There was no other way to describe the figure of Yoon Ji Hoo below her. She took the opportunity to tilt her head to the side and carefully observe his features, just long enough to commit them to memory for later. Then she took a seat on the bed. Smiling softly, she gazed down upon him. The urge to reach out and touch him was almost overpowering; she badly wanted to trace a finger along the curve of his defined jaw, down his neck, and perhaps even splay her fingers across his strong chest.

Well, she could manage two of three in this scenario.

As gently as she could, she got into a kneeling position. She noticed a small wrinkle above his nose followed by a twitch at the corner of his lips. "You're supposed to be unconscious," she goodnaturedly snipped when he snuck a glance at her.

"Sorry," he muttered, fastening his eyes shut. He'd only wanted a peek at the beautiful woman hovering over him. He wiped his face of any emotion and got into his victim role.

Satisfied with his mock comatose state, Jan Di grinned down at his beautiful, expressionless face. And then she got to work. Protocol dictated she ensure the victim was indeed unconscious, so she leaned down to ask if he could hear her. Briefly, she was tempted to brush her lips along his ear, but she didn't do that. She'd vowed to remain professional, so she bit back the urge. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?" she asked, her voice coming out breathier than she'd intended. She swore she saw Ji Hoo's body quake, and then he was right back to acting. Next, she pressed two fingers against his carotid artery to check for a pulse. She felt the pulsating of the muscles of his neck beneath her fingertips, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"No response. No breath. No pulse," she said automatically, pretending she hadn't just been mesmerized by the beautiful motion of his neck. She then rested the palm of her hand over his heart. His chest was warm, and the beat was fast. Why so fast? Was this affecting him, too? It gave her a thrill, but she ignored it. "No heartbeat," she said, positioning the heel of her right hand over his heart and placing the other atop it. "Beginning compressions," she stated. "I'm not going to press as hard as I normally would, though," she told her live victim.

She watched his chest rise and fall as she gave 30 compressions on the beat, mimicking proper form but not pressing in as deep, so as not to injure him. Then she pulled back. It was time for rescue breaths… Her palms were a little slick‒she hoped he didn't notice‒and was dry as cotton. She'd done this a million times, but suddenly, she was petrified. Ji Hoo remained still; did he believe she'd actually go through with it? Maybe he thought this all a cheap ploy, but so far, he was going along with it. And she had to wonder, would his lips remain lifeless beneath hers, or would it morph into a kiss as soon as covered his? She patted her heated cheeks in hopes of banishing her nervous excitement.

Ji Hoo either heard the light smacking noise, wondered why it was taking so long, or sensed her discomfort because he opened his eyes. Jan Di's eyes got as large as if he'd actually come back from the dead. But it was more about her feeling guilty about her thoughts.

Ever sweet, he gave her a gentle smile. "Jan Di, you don't have to do this," he said softly.

He's too good, she thought.

She nodded vigorously as if she had something to prove. "I c-can. I can do it. I really can!" she exclaimed in a stronger voice than initially.

"I know you can," he began to protest, rising up on his elbows. "But‒" To his shock, she jabbed three fingers into his chest, pushing him back down.

"I want to do this," she insisted. "That is, if it's...if it's okay."

His smile came out, bright as the sun, and he raised a hand to cup her cheek. "Yeah, it's okay," he breathed. She touched his hand lightly before capturing it and bringing it back down to his side. "Okay. Close your eyes…"

He complied immediately.

Jan Di placed a finger underneath Ji Hoo's chin, gently tilting his head back to clear the airway. She took a moment to scan the length of his slender yet solid neck, inhaled deeply, and slowly exhaled. "...Starting rescue breaths," she gulped out. She lowered her head again, this time straight down to where her lips were hovering over his. It would be so easy to drop a few more inches and press her lips to his...but she couldn't do it.

The compressions were one thing, but she didn't want the first touch of their lips to be while practicing CPR. She wanted this to happen, so badly, but naturally, in a burst of passion, and most of all she wanted him to be an eager and willing participant. She sat back on her heels, defeated. And she didn't even attempt to subdue the long drawn-out sigh that passed her lips.

"You okay?" Ji Hoo asked, opening his eyes and lifting himself again.

"Of course!" she said too vehemently.

Ji Hoo nodded his head in understanding of her hesitation and sat up fully.

"Wh-what are you doing? I didn't even…," she blabbered. "You're supposed to be unconscious, remember?" She wasn't sure why she was fighting this. The moment was broken. Maybe she didn't want to seem weak or like a failure, even at something tiny like this.

But Ji Hoo put her at ease with his unbeatable smile. "Don't worry. I'm fine now." He rested his hand on her elbow. "You saved my life after only one round of compressions. You're a miracle worker." She couldn't help but beam appreciatively at him, despite being a little disappointed.

"So…," he began after a short silence, studying her face.

She expected him to advise they do something else or say he was going to leave, but he didn't. "Why don't you play the victim now?" he suggested instead.

"O-kay," was her tremulous response.

With that, Ji Hoo dropped his legs over the opposite edge of the bed and walked around to her side. She graciously accepted his assistance lying down, and she closed her eyes. But her body was rigid. And for some reason‒perhaps because she was feeling nervous again, and was no actor‒she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're not dead yet," he teased. Jan Di's eyes snapped open, and she raised a hand to strike him in the arm, but then he smiled again...that gorgeous, playful, annoyingly perfect, irresistible smile. She had to catch her breath from the smile and the sight of him up close‒he truly was like a living statue. "And you won't be if I have any say in it."

Jan Di's heart fluttered. She couldn't even pretend to be angry with him when he looked at her like that and said things like that. Damn you, Yoon Ji Hoo. Her pulse was racing, and he was sure to notice, as she'd noticed his, though hers was probably much faster. She couldn't pull off the calm thing like he did, but she gritted her teeth and tried.

"Just relax," Ji Hoo soothed. "You're safe with me. I won't ever let anything happen to you." His words were as fervent as they were gentle.

If Jan Di's heart was in a flurry before, now it was downright frenzied. It seemed a much bigger promise than one makes while practicing CPR, but nevertheless, it had affected her. She locked eyes with him, and it was all there‒how much he meant it. Surprisingly, her heart rate slowed as she swam in those chocolate pools, and she felt so much more at ease. She believed him. She believed this man cared for her and would not only never hurt her but would defend her, both her honor and her life. She felt absolutely safe in his hands, and somehow, that obliterated her nerves to dust.

"Now, close your eyes, and keep them closed," he said softly. She nodded dumbly, fastening her eyes shut in acquiescence. "And no more peeking. You're unconscious, remember?" She smirked at him before sinking back against the bed.

Much calmer now, Jan Di let her body relax, her long, dark hair spilling out beneath and around her softened shoulders. She placed her hands at her side, assuming a less corpse-like pose, closed her eyes and waited. The voluntary blackness was strange, and Jan Di was particularly reliant upon her sense of sight. This little exercise reminded her of a person leading a friend or lover around blindfolded prior to revealing a surprise. Geum Jan Di did not like surprises, and she would not like that. As for being forced to keep her eyes closed, it was a little like being blind or perhaps stranded in the middle of the ocean on a dark, moonless night. She'd had nightmares about the latter, which was unusual because she was an excellent swimmer. She thought them to be more symbolic; although, she had to admit there was something terrifying about being unable to see in which direction you're swimming and ending up floating further and further out to sea. Despite all this, Jan Di truly wanted to show Ji Hoo just how much she trusted him, so she resolved to keep her eyes shut, no matter what. It seemed a small thing, but she hoped it spoke volumes. If he knew her as well as she thought he did, he would understand that this was her giving herself over, placing herself completely in his hands. And she didn't do that often.

She didn't feel him move right away, but all of a sudden, he was so much closer. Her heart began to speed up once more as he proceeded with protocol, calling her name softly, asking if she could hear him. She shivered at his nearness and the tickle of his warm breath on her ear, and wickedly, she wished he'd slip and graze the appendage with his lips as she'd briefly considered doing to him. When he didn't, she held still and 'played dead.' Next thing she knew, his hand grazed her arm, and the shock nearly caused her eyes to shoot open. Somehow, she managed to keep them closed.

"You okay?" he asked, concerned. He ran his hand tenderly along her upper arm, twice.

"Y-eah, I just...what are you…?" she murmured.

"Jan Di, you trust me, right?"

She carefully considered his question. It had never been easy for her to open up or let her guard down with someone, and there were only a handful of people she trusted completely. Without her completing realizing it, he'd become one of them. She didn't know how it had happened so quickly, but she knew it to be real. Suddenly, she was thinking of the ocean again. And Ji Hoo, of course. And what they were doing here. She knew she wouldn't be able to do this with just anyone, but his honeyed voice somehow tethered her to shore. If ever she was lost at sea, she'd want him to be the one looking for her…

"Yes," she said with total assurance.

"Good."

Jan Di lay perfectly still, but she was truly wondering what he planned to do. Was he actually going to do chest compressions as she had? Would he follow through with the rescue breaths whereas she couldn't?

She ceased thinking about it when she thought she sensed ghostlike fingertips hovering over her collarbone, and then she definitely felt the solid form of his big, strong hands on her shoulders. She swallowed thickly. "Watch those hands now, Chief Yoon. Don't use this as an excuse to get to second base…"

It was meant as a joke, to ease the tension, mainly hers, but her own comment made her blush‒and feel a little ashamed. If he was any other man, she might question his restraint in this all-too-convenient scenario that she'd contrived. What man wouldn't take something like this being handed to him on a silver platter, after all? But this was Chief Yoon, and he was as honorable as they came.

Ugh. Now she felt like an idiot and worse, having simultaneously accused him and revealed where her mind was‒smack dab in the gutter.

Ji Hoo chuckled. "I wouldn't dare. And I thought you said you trusted me, Geum Jan Di."

"I do," she assured, eyes still closed. "I wouldn't be in this position if I didn't." She clamped down on the skin of her bottom lip. Why did everything she said come out the wrong way or have some kind of double meaning? It was true, though. She wouldn't have put herself in such a position with a man she didn't trust, not that she couldn't protect herself if needed. And not that she'd mind, at all, if he tried something...

Stop it, stop it, stop it, she ranted at herself.

"Jan Di," Ji Hoo began, ripping her from her self-flagellation. "Just to let you know, I was thinking of...skipping ahead in the lesson, if that's okay."

Skipping ahead?

She didn't immediately realize his meaning, but she had agreed to trust him. Whatever he chose to do with her right now, she was ready and more than okay with it… "Okay," she breathed. And she finally understood his meaning when his fingers trailed along the skin of her jaw, coming to a rest beneath her chin. He was going to skip straight to the rescue breaths…

Jan Di felt her heart beginning to race and steeled herself. He'd already cupped her chin, but he didn't tilt her head back, only held her chin captive between his thumb and forefinger. She didn't dare open her eyes or even move. She remained as still as she could, at least, her face and body aching from the wonderful burning sensation of his hand. And in her mind, she easily floated atop crystal waters‒because he was beneath her, holding her up.

"You know, you look more like Sleeping Beauty than an emergency victim," Ji Hoo whispered. Her nose immediately crinkled up, and her forehead furrowed in succession at the cheesy line, but she remained as she was.

Ji Hoo chuckled. "Yeah, that was an awful line, wasn't it?"

He'd read her mind, again.

Jan Di bobbed her head a little, eyelashes fluttering but not opening.

"Mianhae. What was I thinking?" he uttered, his hand sliding along the soft skin of her jaw. She pleasantly shivered. "I should stop trying to be cute, shouldn't I? Geum Jan Di would rather I got straight to the point, wouldn't she?"

Straight to the point?

She'd been pretty dense tonight, but this, she understood. She honestly didn't mind when he acted cutely‒it was endearing‒but right now, she wasn't interested in words. Eyes shuttered tight, she pressed her lips together in a contented smile. She hoped he'd take it as acknowledgment and assumed he would, given how well he could read her.

Seconds later, he said her name, just barely above a whisper. She assumed he was going to chicken out as she had, but she couldn't have been more wrong.

"...Jan Di, can I kiss you?" he asked.

She almost opened her eyes.

Kiss? Had she heard him right? He'd said 'kiss,' not 'give you CPR.' Hadn't he?!

It completely caught her off-guard. Sure, they'd been flirting for weeks; sure, they'd nearly kissed in the garden, and sure, he was hovering over her right now, giving her light touches while she lay in his bed, but for him to directly ask to kiss her…! This was really happening… A favorite line from Wuthering Heights suddenly popped into her head: "I have to remind myself to breathe — almost to remind my heart to beat!"

And her heart had nearly stopped. It now merely dwelled in her chest, dormant, frozen while the rest of her body was on fire, screaming things like, "Yes, please!" and "FINALLY!" She didn't know if the words came from her heart or her hormones, though.

She in a bit of air through her nose. She wasn't sure what she should do, but she knew she wanted this. And he was so thoughtful to ask. In the courtyard, he'd been more spontaneous, yet still considerate. He hadn't officially requested then, but he'd as good as, and now, he was asking for permission again. Doing the gentlemanly thing. Probably because she was currently lying beneath him with her eyes closed, unsuspecting and vulnerable. He probably wanted to prepare her, out of respect and lest he get slapped or head-butted for his attempt at being romantic.

It only took reminding herself how wonderful Ji Hoo was and how he'd promised to always keep her safe to seal her decision, even though she'd rather he promise his own safety‒that was the kind of vow she wanted from a boyfriend in such a dangerous line of work.

Her lips parted to finally respond, but he cut her off. "You don't need to say anything. If it's okay, just...keep your eyes closed," he said.

He was giving her an easy out‒could this man be more amazing? All she had to do was open her eyes, and that would put an end to it. She didn't want that, though. This thing had been building for too long already, and it was clear just how much she wanted it because she was actually squeezing her eyes tighter to ensure they remained closed. She felt like a wakeful child pretending to sleep when her parents popped into her bedroom. Forgotten was the previous notion that she didn't want it to happen like this, embraced was the desire to fully enjoy the unexpectedly romantic moment. And it was romantic, so very romantic, despite the initial awkwardness.

She kept her eyes closed.

Suddenly, Jan Di felt the space between them dwindling and the temperature increasing as the heat bouncing off their bodies mingled. She felt both his hands on the sides of her face, his thumbs tracing tantalizing lines across her cheeks and the underside of her jaw, and then a single finger grazed her lips. He was so close now, she could tell. When his bangs tickled her forehead and his chest lightly brushed hers, she knew this was going to happen, any second… She held her breath. He was taking his sweet time, though, and the suspense was killing her. Her fingers wiggled against the sheet and lifted, eager to reach out for him, to pull him closer, faster. Her back arched slightly, and her lips parted in preparation for the much-anticipated kiss.

. . .

And then it all came to a screeching halt.

Jan Di's eyes snapped open at the thump outside the door, and she stared up at Ji Hoo. His arms were on each side of her, his head lowered and his shoulders hunched in frustration. Both their gazes shot to the door when more noises came from the hall. It sounded like someone fumbling with the lock, and then there was pounding. "Chief, Chief! Ji Hoo-ah! Let me in!" He was slurring a bit, but it was definitely the voice of Lee Jung Woo.

Great timing, as usual, my friend, Ji Hoo thought.

Ji Hoo shook his head and looked to Jan Di apologetically. He was too disappointed about the interruption to even make a sarcastic remark, so all he said was, "That would be Jung Woo."

Jan Di nodded, shifting in place a bit. They sat there for a few seconds longer, staring at one another, ignoring Jung Woo's complaints about his key not working. Ji Hoo groaned, thinking if there was such a thing as Fate, it must be conspiring against him. "This needs to stop happening," he said sardonically while helping Jan Di to sit up.

She forced a smile. She couldn't agree more.

Outside the door, Jung Woo continued fiddling with the lock. They heard him mutter, "Aish," then something that sounded larger than a fist hit the door, followed by a loud curse. They assumed he'd dropped his key and went down for it but banged his head in the process.

"Well, I guess I should…" Ji Hoo motioned toward the door.

"Yeah…"

They exchanged a heavy look, and then, in spite of everything, they laughed.

"I hope this isn't a bad sign," Jan Di half-joked.

"No, trust me, it's not. We're just surrounded by idiots."

Jan Di laughed again, and Ji Hoo joined her, though half-heartedly. He was actually fighting the urge to smother Jung Woo in his sleep later. After reigning in his homicidal tendencies, he brushed a knuckle longingly against the satin skin of Jan Di's cheek. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's okay."

"I promise next time will be better..."

Jan Di smiled.

Their eyes met, holding fast, and Ji Hoo considered leaning in for a quick kiss. He'd been waiting for the perfect moment to kiss her, but two opportunities had come and gone already tonight. Screw it. Jung Woo could wait a little longer. "But then again…" He moved in slowly; she was coming closer, too… Aut then Jung Woo's voice brought them back to reality. "Ji Hoo-ah, you in there?! Come on, man!" Bang. Bang. Bang.

I'm going to kill him! Ji Hoo raised his eyes in silent promise to the heavens. Then he sighed and looked back at Jan Di. "Well, I suppose I should let him in…"

"Yeah," she said, straightened her clothing. "It's...uh...getting late, anyway. I...should get some sleep."

"Yeah, me too." He offered his hand and helped her off the bed, and they both stood. Briefly, he moved closer to rest his head against hers. "Like you said, the longer we wait, the better it will be…," he whispered.

Jan Di felt her heart pounding against her ribcage, rivaling the knock at the door. "...Maybe I won't live up to what's in your head?" she responded tentatively.

Ji Hoo pulled back to hold her firmly by the shoulders. He gazed into her big, brown doe eyes while considering pressing a burning kiss to her forehead, but he decided to wait for a real one. He smiled and tucked aside a strand of her hair. "You will. I know you will."

Her grin was so wide it bordered on painful. "Goodnight, Ji Hoo," she said softly.

"Sweet dreams, Jan Di."

With great effort, Ji Hoo extricated himself from the woman before him and made his way to the door, clenching his jaw in frustration the entire time. When he opened the door, Jung Woo was slumped beside it against the wall, barely conscious. Fate was cruelly mocking him now, adding insult to injury. Ji Hoo sighed and bent to sling his drunken friend's arm over his shoulder. He straightened up, supporting a groggy Jung Woo, who managed to open one eye and look at him. "Ji Hoo-ahhh! Hey, thanksss man, you're the best!" he slurred. Then he muttered, "Mianhae. Got carried away…" He shut his eye as his head lolled back.

Ji Hoo groaned and dragged him into the room.

"Is he alright?" Jan Di asked, concerned.

"He's fine. Just had too much to drink." Ji Hoo shook his head, thinking Jung Woo deserved a good -kicking. And if he didn't give him one for causing so much trouble, Ji Hoo was certain the instructors tomorrow would, if he wasn't alert. Ji Hoo could tell it was gonna be a long night and a rough morning…

"Okay. Well...I'm gonna go," Jan Di said. He gave her one more apologetic look; she shook it off, and they traded goodnights. She gave him a final wave before slipping past him and the heap in his arms.

After she'd gone, Ji Hoo deposited Jung Woo on his bed, put his feet up, and tugged off his shoes. He placed the shoes by the door and went to his own bed, slumping onto it. Right now, he thought, Fate must be having a really good laugh at my expense.

When Jan Di got back to her room, Kyung Hee was there, but Min Ji wasn't. The policewoman greeted her with a grin and a "Heeey, where were you? Did you have a good night?" Then she winked at her.

"Nowhere. And yes, I did," Jan Di answered evasively, trying to busy herself with putting away her belongings.

Kyung Hee wasn't having it. "Were you with Chief Yooon?" she pried.

Jan Di just shrugged and carried her pajamas to the bathroom. She went in, but Kyung Hee caught up and followed her inside before she had a chance to shut the door. Leaning against the doorframe, the policewoman asked, "Soo...did anything happen tonight with the hunky fire chief?"

Jan Di couldn't help but grin at Kyung Hee's word choice. "No, Kyung Hee, it didn't," she said, putting on a straight face. She fought the sigh that nearly escaped.

"Really? Nothing at all?!" Kyung Hee nudged Jan Di in the ribs and leaned in closer. "Come on, Unnie, you can tell me! I swear I won't tell anyone."

"There's nothing to tell," Jan Di said, a little raw. She placed her pajamas on the bathroom counter and skulked out.

"But Unnie, I don't get it!" The prodding police officer followed her into the main room. "You two looked so cozy at dinner… You seemed to be having such a good time together!"

"Yeah, we were, but…" We were interrupted, twice! "Kyung Hee, can we not talk about this, please?"

But Kyung Hee didn't listen. She pranced up to Jan Di and tugged her sleeve. "Come on, Unnieeee. You gotta give me something! But...but what? What happened?"

This time, Jan Di released the sigh. It was part dreamy, part regretful. "Well, we had dinner, took a walk, and then…"

"And then…?!" Kyung Hee's eyes widened like saucers, almost comically. No doubt she was waiting for some succulent piece of information.

Jan Di reviewed and summarized the rest of the story in her head. Then I went to his room. We talked, pretended to perform CPR on each other, and I was underneath him for a while, but… She threw her hands up in the air. "And then, nothing, Kyung Hee. He just dropped me off at my room."

Kyung Hee's mouth dropped in disappointment and disbelief. "Didn't he at least kiss you goodnight?!"

"No." It was like a punch to the gut. Although, it wasn't Ji Hoo's fault; he'd tried to… She turned to walk away.

Kyung Hee whined so loudly one would've thought she'd missed two golden opportunities to kiss an incredible guy. And that reminded Jan Di…

But before Jan Di could ask about Myung Hoon, Kyung Hee approached her. "Wait, Unnie…" The younger woman pinched her lips together. "...if he dropped you off at our room, supposedly hours ago, why did I beat you back here?"

Crap. Kyung Hee had discovered the plothole in her story. That's why she's the police officer, and I'm not, thought Jan Di.

"Where did you go after?" Kyung Hee probed further.

"I-I...just went for a walk," Jan Di said, averting her gaze. But she could feel Kyung Hee's eyes burning into her. She didn't buy it.

"Unnie...sit down." Despite the woman being 6 years her junior, Jan Di couldn't help but obey the clear command. Obediently, she sat on the edge of her bed and folded her hands in her lap. Kyung Hee approached slowly, placing her hands on her hips. She stared down at her for what seemed like hours, and Jan Di could feel her palms growing sweaty. Finally, Kyung Hee spoke. "Look, Unnie, we haven't known each other long, but you should know something about me...I don't like being lied to." The last few words were lower, harsher.

Jan Di felt her stomach do a flip. Was it guilt? Fear? No, that was silly. This was bubbly, little Kyung Hee, and she was not on trial! "Me either," she piped.

"We agree, then. I think we should also agree on something else…"

"What's that?" Jan Di asked flatly.

Hands glued to those strong, slender hips, Kyung Hee inched even closer. She leaned in and slyly smiled. "I think we should agree to be totally honest with each other, don't you?"

Even though Jan Di wasn't sure about the 'total' honesty part, she nodded her head submissively. "I do."

"Good. Then…" Kyung Hee placed her hands on either side of Jan Di on the bed. "Why don't you try that story again, Jan Di-ssi? There seems to be some missing information. Care to fill in the blanks for me?"

"Um…"

Kyung Hee tsked. Her expression was chilly but calm. "You know, I can always tell when people are lying to me… It is part of my job, you know?" She clutched the bed harder. "So, why don't you make things easier on both of us and tell me what really happened tonight."

Suddenly, Jan Di was transported to a cold, gray room with a one-way mirror; she was seated at a table across from Kyung Hee. And she knew she was in trouble. In a matter of two minutes, she'd been downgraded from Unnie to Jan Di-ssi, suspect, and she was being shaken down by Officer Na.

This was ridiculous. Did she want to know so badly? I didn't rob a bank; I just went to a man's room and didn't kiss him!

"Oh, hey! So, what happened tonight with your sunbae? I'm really eager to know," Jan Di tried to deflect. Nothing like a diversion. Two can play this game, Kyung Hee-ssi! She folded her arms, a satisfactory smile crossing her lips.

But Kyung Hee wasn't playing games, and to Jan Di's surprise, she neither got embarrassed nor distracted. No, she was in full-on police officer mode now. "Don't change the subject," Kyung Hee practically snapped her head off. Then she continued in a soft, slightly menacing tone. "This isn't about me...it's about you. And I can't help you if you're not honest with me…" Her lip curled up into a near snarl.

She's scary. Jan Di was now certain this little girl could be downright terrifying when she wanted to be. She must be dynamite in the interrogation room.

She didn't need help, though. Jan Di abruptly stood and brushed past Kyung Hee, and she started pacing the room like a caged lion. "Okay, fine. You wanna know?" She shot back a heated glance at her interrogator.

Kyung Hee spun around to face her, too. "Yeah, I do!"

"You really wanna know?"

"I really do!"

"Fine." Jan Di's boldness began to subside a little; she fidgeted with her fingers and started pacing again. She could see Kyung Hee watching her every move out of the corner of her eye. Probably analyzing my suspicious behavior, thought Jan Di. "...Okay, okay, you got me, Officer! I went back to Chief Yoon's room..."

"Ah ha!" Kyung Hee sealed her lips after the outburst and quietly reveled, awaiting the rest of Jan Di's 'confession.'

Jan Di took a breath. "Yeah, I went to his room. He sort of invited me over; well, we both kinda…we wanted to see each other, so I went over there, and we decided to review the manual."

"The manual?" Kyung Hee quirked a brow in amusement and disbelief.

"Yeah, the training manual."

"I can tell this story is going to get really juicy," Kyung Hee teased.

"Oh yeah, prepare yourself. It should come with a warning label," was Jan Di's sarcastic reply.

It was only then Jan Di realized she'd left her copy of the training manual in Ji Hoo's room. She inwardly groaned. Well, it was a good excuse to see him yet again, but she wasn't risking further humiliation tonight. Besides, Jung Woo was there now, probably unconscious, but there.

"Unnie?"

"Yeah, so…" With a sigh, Jan Di went on to tell the full story…

Afterward, she waited for Officer Na's reaction. Her expression was quizzical as she seemingly working her way through the details in her mind. Finally, she made a little noise in . "Well, don't you feel soo much better after coming clean, Unnie?!" Kyung Hee chirped.

That wasn't what Jan Di had expected. Not really, she thought.

Then Kyung Hee poked her lip out sympathetically; she went to Jan Di and began her arm. Jan Di supposed she'd reverted back to Kyung Hee, girl friend. And she decided she was weird but nice.

"Oh well, don't worry, unnie! It'll happen!"

Jan Di looked at her curiously.

"You and Chief Yoon. It'll happen."

"How do you know?"

"I just know. He totally likes you!"

Jan Di smiled a little. Yeah, he seems to, but I don't get it. What could he possibly see in me?

"Thanks, Kyung Hee. And I think Myung Hoon likes you."

Kyung Hee turned fifteen different shades of red. "You really think so…?" she asked mousily.

"I do."

"Oh, unnieee!" she wailed and threw herself onto the bed, burying her face in a pillow. It was humorous to see her act like this after the dreaded interrogation.

"You know, Kyung Hee, for such a strong, confident woman, you're easily embarrassed." It was ironic of Jan Di to say because she was the same way. "What's the matter? Can dish it out but can't take it, huh?"

Kyung Hee peered out from behind the ultra-white pillow. "Unnie, don't tease me..." She stuck her lip out then buried her face again. Gone was the fierce police officer, returned was the sweet, innocent little girl with a crush.

All of a sudden, Jan Di felt bad. Even though payback could be sweet as syrup, she'd been a little harsh. "I'm sorry, Kyung Hee-ah. I really am. Forgive me?" Jan Di walked over and placed a hand on her new friend's shoulder. Kyung Hee poked her head up like a gopher.

"I'm just a little...tired." And ually frustrated… Jan Di blushed hotly, earning a curious glance from Kyung Hee. Fortunately, she didn't ask.

"Of course I forgive you, unnie!" she exclaimed, tossing the pillow away. Then she threw her arms around Jan Di's neck and pulled her down for a hug.

Despite the mild choking going on, Jan Di smiled and patted Kyung Hee on the back. "So, what about Myung Hoon?" she asked once Kyung Hee had released her. She wasn't getting revenge, just was truly curious. "You two seemed to be hitting it off at dinner, too. Did anything happen?"

"No, nothing." Kyung Hee's voice got louder when she saw Jan Di was as suspicious as she'd been. "Honestly!" Her face fell, so Jan Di knew she was telling the truth. "I put myself out there, tried to show my interest, but I think he's still clueless…"

Jan Di took a seat beside her on the bed. "Men can be like that sometimes."

"Yeah, men…," Kyung Hee growled. "Why can't they see what's right in front of them? I swear they're either jerks or clueless!" She shrugged one arm. "Or, they're too afraid to take an opportunity when it slaps them in the face." She motioned to Jan Di. "Maybe the fire chief is as clueless as Sunbae…"

Jan Di pressed her lips together. She didn't think of Ji Hoo as clueless, not at all; he was just slow to make a move. It wasn't from lack of courage, though. There were a few times tonight she'd even wondered if the stars were against them (if she even believed in that), but Kyung Hee's assured "It'll happen" and Ji Hoo's promise made her eager to defy them.

When she snapped out of her daze, Kyung Hee was still looking a bit distraught. "Hey," Jan Di soothed, "maybe you just need to be more direct with him."

"Yeah, I should, I guess. But I'm just...afraid to. I mean, he's my sunbae. I don't want to lose him and my job all at once."

"I understand." Jan Di nodded. The logic was sound, and she wasn't going to press her. But she did want to say one more thing. "I think...I think we got a couple of good ones, though, Kyung Hee-ah." Jan Di placed a hand on her shoulder while Kyung Hee listened intently. "Ji Hoo and Myung Hoon, they're both good guys, really good, too good, maybe. They care about us, respect us completely. They may be slow to make a move, and we may want them to be more spontaneous sometimes, but they are the type of guys who will always stick around, who love fully."

Kyung Hee's resulting smile was luminous. "You're right, unnie."

"And that type of guy is worth waiting for, isn't he?" Jan Di nudged Kyung Hee.

"Definitely, unnie."

They ended with the clasping of hands in a strange sort of bonding ritual over their mutual frustration with and adoration for the men in their lives.

. . .

"Hey, where's Cho Min Ji?" Jan Di asked, offhandedly.

"Oh, she's probably still downstairs flirting," Kyung Hee replied. "After Chief Yoon left with you, she set her sights on his assistant chief, Lee Jung Woo, I think his name is, but he turned her down. Now, I think she's trying to see how many of the guys she can get to buy her drinks. She's a real piece of work, that one, but I think she's at least smart enough to not get plastered because she only sips on the drinks. I'm sure she's used to doing this. It's such a waste, though. Of alcohol and of money. The guys kept buying her drinks, but she barely touched them. She probably didn't want to be hungover tomorrow. I don't really think she cares much about the training; she probably just has to say that she was present." Kyung Hee shrugged. "But maybe she wants to be alert enough tomorrow to impress any hot instructors that might be there…Oh yeah, she was telling me about this one guy...apparently, he's really badass and has huge muscles..."

Jan Di stifled a laugh while Kyung Hee went for her copy of the training manual. She picked it up and brought it over. Taking a seat beside Jan Di, she flipped to the back page with the names and descriptions of the training instructors. Above each name and set of credentials was their picture. "That's him." Kyung Hee pointed to an instructor by the name of Cheong Jeong Hun.

Jan Di pursed her lips. Well, if Min Ji was interested in the 'badass instructor,' all the best to her. Maybe it would take her sights off Ji Hoo. Of course, the firewoman didn't seem to discriminate or limit herself in that arena. She'd probably hit on any male with a pulse, especially if he was halfway decent-looking. Jan Di decided to forget about Min Ji, and she and Kyung Hee spent a while longer reading about the instructors giving the training tomorrow before going to bed.

. . .

Min Ji finally made it back to the room at nearly midnight, stirring Jan Di awake in the process. She would've been the slightest bit concerned about the fire chick's late arrival if she didn't know Ji Hoo seemed uninterested in her and was safely in his own room with Jung Woo. Speaking of whom, she hoped Jung Woo wasn't being too much trouble for him. Ji Hoo seemed like the type to stay up all night taking care of a sick or drunken friend.

In bed, Jan Di glanced back at the sleeping Kyung Hee, who lay quietly breathing beside her. Recalling her earlier comment, Jan Di disgustedly wondered if Min Ji had tried to drop in on Ji Hoo after she left‒she'd seen the room he came out of, after all. But even if she did, Jan Di was certain he'd sent her away. And again, Jung Woo was there, too. Min Ji had probably spent the evening drinking and flirting with the other guys as Kyung Hee had suggested. But Jan Di wasn't happy about that, either. She liked all the firefighters, and of course, her guys, and she didn't want Min Ji toying with any of their hearts.

A tall, dark shadow tore Jan Di from her reverie. It was Min Ji. Immediately, she turned her back on Jan Di, and commanded, "."

Jan Di begrudgingly sat up and clutched the zipper of her dress, pulling it down Min Ji's slender frame. "Thanks," the firewoman muttered, her tone sounding annoyed rather than thankful. She then shimmied out of her dress right in front of Jan Di and sashayed over to her bed, wearing nothing but a tiny pair of lace and bra. It wasn't surprising, really. After what happened earlier, it was clear Min Ji had no insecurities about her body. Not that she should; she was gorgeous. And she knew it, a little too well.

The leggy bottle-blonde the bedside lamp and rummaged through some clothing, banging her suitcase around in the process. Of course, she didn't care who she woke up. With a small sigh, Jan Di checked on Kyung Hee, who, fortunately, was still a log. Meanwhile, Min Ji threw on a lace-trimmed camisole, finally turned out the light, and pulled back the covers. The corners of Jan Di's lips tilted when she heard Min Ji sigh heavily after slipping into bed. It was the despondent noise of a woman shunned by a man. Even though Jan Di was taught better than to take pleasure in another's disappointment, in this case, she didn't feel bad about it at all.

Jan Di settled in again, snuggling against her pillow. She was thankful it was too dark for Min Ji to see the look on her face because she was gushing and smug. And that would only lead to questions or a death glare from the jilted 'fire hussy,' as Kyung Hee liked to refer to her. It wasn't like she had a lot to brag about, but still, Jan Di was happy. Really happy.

He likes me! She finally allowed herself a moment to rejoice in that. She'd suspected it before, of course, but after tonight, she was certain. Maybe Ji Hoo hadn't fallen as hard as she had, but he definitely had feelings for her, too. And she was very eager for the next chance they got to be together. She wouldn't let them be interrupted next time!

When Min Ji rolled onto her other side to face away from her, Jan Di didn't hold back. She let her smile break through with full force and wrapped her arms tightly around her pillow, stifling a squeal. Nuzzling her cheek against the soft linen, she imagined it was something‒or rather, someone‒else entirely.

When I do finally have you, Yoon Ji Hoo, I won't be letting go, she silently promised herself.

Then she sank into the pillow, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep with a peaceful expression on her face.

At 7 AM sharp the next morning, the firefighters, EMTs, and police officers were greeted in the lobby with formal salutes by finely dressed officers. And they were transported in several vehicles from the hotel to the National Fire Service Academy, 5.4 km away. Upon arrival, the uniformed officers showed identification to the uniformed security personnel at the gate, and they were welcomed in. As they drove toward the academy, they could see perfectly aligned sets of white chairs and a small stage set up on the large, green lawn for the welcome ceremony.

But first, they were taken to the training center for a tour of the facilities. The tour included the education support department; the school offices and classrooms; the fire science laboratory; the dormitory; the fitness center and the firefighting general training center, which was complete with swimming pool, water rescue center, and gymnasium.

Afterward, they were taken outside to see the tennis court and golf course. The campus was amazing‒and huge! Jan Di could imagine how incredible it would have been to attend here, but it was very costly and not at all close to where she lived. Ji Hoo said he'd worked with a few firefighters who'd attended here, but none were from his station.

The officer giving the tour, a middle-aged female of elevated rank, next took them to the firefighters memorial hall next. They walked in, and Jan Di immediately noticed the engraving over her head on the stone wall.

She read silently: I will not forget your noble sacrifice.

The phrase hit Jan Di hard, and inadvertently, she glanced over at Myung Hoon, only for a split-second. Then she turned from him, bowed her head, and clasped her hands in reverence.

The officer from the academy had been watching Jan Di. "Excellent idea, Captain Geum," she said. And she asked them all to do the same. Everyone lowered their heads respectfully while the officer spoke the mantra aloud. "I am deeply grateful for the sacrifice and hard work until the last moment of life. Please pray for your hands together in Heaven."

Afterward, they wandered around for a bit, silently reading the memorials, some even writing a little something, so it was clear there were some friends and acquaintances of the fallen present. Regardless, all were solemn and quiet in this place as they honored their deceased comrades. And they were their comrades, whether they knew them personally or not. These men and women had done what they all did every day. They were heroes, who had defended civilians and saved lives‒and paid the ultimate price for it.

Jan Di glanced over at Ji Hoo; she noticed he wore a pained expression while reading some of the names. He must know some of them, she thought. And it made her chest ache. He wasn't teary-eyed, but he didn't seem to be trying to hide his sadness, either. Maybe she was just getting better at reading him. Jung Woo and Yeong Ho seemed likewise affected by this place, though less expressive about it. Maybe she just didn't know them as well as Chief Yoon.

. . .

After a quick trip to the firefighting tower, they all assembled on the lawn for the welcoming ceremony at 0900 (they always used military time here). The commissioner was there, along with a whole host of other incredibly important people. It was quite a gathering!

The elderly commissioner stepped up to the podium first, with some assistance, and everyone clapped. He only said a few words of welcome and thanks for their service before turning it over to the battalion chief, an only slightly younger man, equally stringent with words. There was more applause for the battalion chief, and then, he turned the mic over to a young woman. She was dressed in a pristine blue uniform, a skirt suit decorated with medals, and wearing a hat, white gloves, and heels. Her dark hair was secured beneath the hat in a tight bun.

She was the district lieutenant, Ji Hoo quietly informed the group, for only he had met her before. Her rank was actually lower than Ji Hoo's, but because she was the lieutenant for the entire district, she was closer to his equal. And furthermore, because of her esteem with the battalion chief, Ji Hoo knew to treat her more like a superior. He'd had many a conversation with her about the fire department, routine mostly since she acted as something of an assistant to the battalion chief. As for her personality, Ji Hoo knew her to be stern but fair, very by-the-book, and utterly serious about her job.

"Wow, the fire lieutenant is hot," Sung Jin commented, practically drooling. "Is she single?"

"I'm not sure," Ji Hoo replied. "I know she's not married."

From a couple of rows behind, Jan Di briefly wondered how he knew that. She supposed it wouldn't be a difficult thing to discover, but she didn't dwell on it and directed her full attention to the front.

"How old is she?" Sung Jin went on to ask.

"25-26, maybe," Ji Hoo answered quietly.

"Maybe I should ask her out." The rookie kept his voice low, though there was definitely excitement in it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Ji Hoo whispered in a cautionary tone.

"Why not, Chief?"

"Well, she's your superior, for one. And she's older. And let's just say, I know this woman. She wouldn't look favorably on that, trust me."

"Yeah, Kid," Yeong Ho chimed in, leaning forward, "if you hit on the lieutenant she'll fire you so fast your head'll spin."

"C-can she really do that?" The rookie looked to his chief.

"Probably." Ji Hoo smirked. "I'd try to protect your job, but maybe it's best you don't tempt fate."

"Yeah. Besides, I thought you were in love with the cat lady," Yeong Ho whispered.

"I am." The rookie bobbed his head up and down, then grew somber. "But she never called or anything."

A couple of others chimed in about what he should do and whether or not he should give up until Ji Hoo silenced them. "Hey, pay attention, guys," he urged. And they all quieted down as the lieutenant began her speech.

"Good morning, my name is Park Yeong Ja. I'm your District Lieutenant. I'd like to welcome you all to the National Fire Service Academy for our annual, specialized, comprehensive training program. Here at the National Fire Service Academy, we seek to prepare the best and the brightest for a career in firefighting or emergency services as well as to train the best of the best to be even better at their jobs. You are all here as representatives of your respective departments. It is a great honor to be here. As for the training, some of it may be a refresher for many of you, but, I assure you, whether you're a firefighter-in-training or a chief, you will learn many things this weekend that you can take back to your teams and use to perform your jobs even more successfully. And...we may just have a few tricks up our sleeves." The lieutenant revealed her glistening smile, but only for a few seconds. And then she was all business again.

The lieutenant then introduced a man dressed in regular, casual clothing. As he took the stage, Jan Di recognized him from the back of the manual. He was the one Kyung Hee (or was it Min Ji?) had referred to as a "badass with huge muscles."

The man cleared his throat and spoke. "I'm Cheong Jeong Hun, Director of Fire Safety and Training Coordinator..." His voice was deep and rough, exactly as one would suspect by looking at the macho instructor. "The lieutenant and I will be your instructors for this training." He started to give his speech, though his was much shorter and different from the lieutenant's inspirational little number. First, he detailed what his training would be like and how it wouldn't be easy…

"The first day will be mental." Jeong Hun's voice rang out, loud and self-assured. "Classroom training and simulations, to test your mind and your...mettle." He grinned almost sadistically, and Jan Di could tell he was a man who very much enjoyed his job. "The second day, I'll get you out in the field and really put you to work." After that, he only said a handful of words about the training schedule and what was expected. Finally, he folded his arms and surveyed the trainees as if they were military initiates. "Let's see how many of you got what it takes to pass!"

***To Be Continued***

A/N: ::Ducks as things are thrown at her:: I know, I'm super evil, right? No kiss YET! But LOADS of romantic tension, right? Lol, please don't kill me. I promise it's coming very soon. At least our Janhoo are getting CLOSER to being together! And sorry if anyone is too OOC. Remember, it's AU. I always try to keep the essence of the character intact, though, and I hope I've achieved that so far.

So, I did a ton of research for this chapter on the National Fire Academy (It's a real place, check it out. The mantra from the firefighters memorial hall in South Korea is also real, though the translation is a little weird. Sorry about that), as well as training simulations, VR, firefighting, and emergency techniques, but I ended up writing way more dialogue, character interaction, and fluff than I thought in this chapter, and it just got way too long, so I had to push all that stuff to the next chapter. Groan. I promise the next chapter will be more exciting and action-packed. And I'll continue to build the romance and action from there. I hope this was a fun one, though. I'm excited about my new side characters (OCs), and I hope you'll all enjoy reading about them, too.

Needing some encouragement, guys, hope to hear from you!

Also, check out my Pinterest page for this story. I added a couple of things if you've seen it before. www. Pinterest acpoe82/ to-love-honor-and-protect / (take out the spaces). Mild Spoiler alert, I'd planned on including more of the new OCs and some of the training in this chapter, so I included some images of that on my Pinterest board. Warning, I put two pics of burns on there, so if you have a weak stomach, maybe don't look. It's not terribly graphic, though; one is just a drawing, and the other is not too awful-looking. It's not exactly how I pictured Jeong Hun's scar (spoiler for next time); his spans a wider area across his chest and stomach, but I couldn't handle looking at many more pics of burns, lol.

P.S. I'll find out the results of my flash fiction writing contest (first round) on September 11th. I had to write a 1,000-word or less story using a prompt (genre, location, and object) in 48 hours. Wish me luck! There's $5,000 USD on the line, so here's hoping! I'm not expecting to win, but I'd love to make it a few rounds.

Finally, the teaser for next… LOOK AWAY IF YOU DON'T WANT IT!

Heat Part III… (I'm having SO much fun with these new OCs! I can't wait to bring you more of them next chapter, but for now, here are some planned quotes and snippets…)

"They may know the basics of fire, but do they know the chemistry behind it, the science, the beauty…?"

"Yah, are you secretly a pyro? Because if you are, you better tell me now so I can get far away and have you immediately tossed out of here!"

. . .

"Maybe you should try that again. You said yourself that this training is as real as it gets. Well, I didn't believe for a second you were a desperate mother concerned for her baby. Convince me."

"Well, if you hadn't noticed, I'm a man." He held his arms out wide in presentation of himself. "I will never be a mother, so I can't convince you."

"Can't you try to imagine a niece or nephew…, someone you care about?"

"No. I'm paid to train them, not to act, sweetheart."

. . .

"Yeah, she's pretty, huh? Well, you can ask her on a date later, but first, save her life!"

. . .

"The question is, are you willing to risk your life?" Jeong Hun demanded.

"I am," Ji Hoo spoke into the mic. "It's my duty." And he continued moving through the thick, black smoke, actively searching for Jan Di.

Jeong Hun rolled his eyes. "How noble," he muttered.

. . .

"Jan Di, Jan Di! Where are you?!" Ji Hoo shouted at the top of his lungs. 'Please say my name again!' he willed. 'Let me know where you are!'

. . .

"Chief Yoon, you're running out of time and oxygen!" Jeong Hun barked into the headset. "Are you ready to die for Captain Geum? Because that's what's about to happen!"

Ji Hoo didn't even have to think about it; the answer was clear‒Yes. Yes, he was. He couldn't possibly leave someone to die, especially not Jan Di. What was his life worth then?

. . .

"Give it up, Chief Yoon. You're done. You'll never reach Captain Geum in time, and even if you do, the best you can hope for is to die alongside her. Get out now. You've lost."

"No, not yet!" Ji Hoo mouthed. He had to at least try to save her! And even if dying with her was the inevitable outcome, then...so be it.

At that moment, he thought he heard the faint sound of his name being called from the next room. It was like a prayer being answered. "I'm coming, Jan Di!"