Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet...

It wasn’t just that she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. It wasn’t just the way her long dark hair fell perfectly on her back, or how she had this wonderful habit of wrinkling her nose when she laughed. It was also the fact that he was irresistibly drawn to her, in a way he’d never been drawn to anybody before.

She’d taken him to a small restaurant near her house, and they were sitting together at a private table. Their managers were also sitting together nearby, happily chatting as they ate.

“They get along so well, ne, Oppa?” Yoo Jung giggled, looking at their managers talking on the table across the room as she ate a bowl of rice.

“Ne!” Bo Gum laughed and stared at her pretty face as he nodded. He was mesmerized by her beauty and the whole idea of being on a date (was that what this was?) with her, but didn’t want it to show. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. “They even get along better than us!”

“Ani!” Yoo Jung pouted playfully. “I don’t think they get along that well, Oppa. You and I get along really well, don’t we?” She smiled again and his heart skipped another beat.

“Ne. I am so happy that you got the lead role. This is my first leading role as well, and I was so nervous. But with you, I feel at ease. It’s like I feel at home, Yoo Jung-ah.” His smile was wide but he feared that, maybe, he had gone too far with his words. She didn’t seem to mind his confession, though.

“Me too, Oppa. This is nice!” She looked down at her plate and continued eating. “It’s so good we can go out to eat like this. Maybe after the drama airs people will recognize us too much and we won’t be able to go out without rumors starting. I wouldn’t like that. I don’t want to make you regret going out with me.” She quickly glanced at Bo Gum before looking down at her plate again.

“Ani, ani, baboya!” Bo Gum laughed quickly, trying to reassure her.

How on earth could she think that he wouldn’t like being seen with her? It was his ultimate dream: to hold her hand, to walk by her side, to accompany her wherever she had to go. He would be there for her. He wanted to travel the world by her side, to see every beautiful thing that ever existed and to eat the most amazing food together.

What was he thinking? When had she taken so much space in his heart? He was full of hope and full of love, but he was worried as well. Not for him, but for her.

“Actually, I am more worried about you, Yoo Jung-ah.” He started carefully. “I mean, those rumors would hurt you more, right? You’re…”

“Because I’m younger than you, Oppa?” Yoo Jung recovered her smile and laughed, wrinkling her nose in that incredibly cute way Bo Gum loved so much. “Ani, gwaenchanha. I don’t mind", she shrugged. "I am a bit more concerned about how your fangirls would react, Oppa. I mean, their handsome favorite actor going out to eat with his co-star?” She laughed heartily and his heart skipped yet another beat as soon as he heard the word handsome. “It would be madness!”

He laughed along with her, imagining the scenario. After their laughter died out, they just sat there, staring at each other for a while. Bo Gum’s heart started to race and he broke the silence.

“I have a plan!” He smiled proudly. “If anyone ever asks you whether or not we’ve gone out, just tell them this: we went out to eat once, but it was awkward and we didn’t go out again. That way, if anyone ever sees pictures of us eating or something, they’ll think that’s the time you were talking about. What do you think? I’ll answer the same thing if I can’t evade the question.”

“Daebak! Such a great idea, Oppa! You’re so smart!” She gaped and smiled. “That’ll keep everyone quiet. I’ll tell them that!”

They went on to eat and talk for hours, and he felt the greatest sense of familiarity he had ever felt. It was hard not to get lost in her eyes.

All he knew was that, wherever she went, both him and his heart would always follow.