The alarm on the stove rang loudly and Jeongguk rushed to take the chicken out of it. Even wearing gloves, he almost burned himself, and he complained as he put the food on the counter. He had never been the cooker type, but, that night, he would make an exception.

He checked the wall clock. It was almost 9PM, which meant Yerim had probably left her job already. He smiled, imagining she could arrive anytime soon. She would be surprised once she realized the amazing banquet he had prepared especially for her. She loved to eat and, after tasting a bit of the food he had made on his own, he knew she would like it.

He lit up the candles and grabbed the expensive bottle of wine he bought on his way to her apartment. He opened it with no difficult, due to the incredible strength he had, which only existed because of the absurd time he spent working out and practicing sports. He was a born athlete.

After pouring the dark liquid in two cups, he went to the living room, which was linked to the kitchen. Yerim lived in a small place, completely different from Jeongguk’s. But he liked it. It was cozy and comfortable, unlike his own. He sat on the couch, ing the two first buttons on his shirt. He was still wearing his suit from work, and, even though he had some clothes on her wardrobe, he wanted to look nice and elegant for her. She had always said she liked men in tux.

He the television, deciding to watch the night news as he waited for her to arrive. But, after an hour, he got worried. She was supposed to be there already, with him. He frowned, checking his wrist watch. It was past 10PM. He thought about calling her, but he wanted to make a surprise.

When he heard the locks being unlocked, he stood up, suddenly feeling excited. The grin on his mouth couldn’t help but show up as he stared at the door, waiting for the woman he adored so much to come in. And, when she did, the smile on his lips vanished.

“Oh, Jeongguk” Yerim said, looking at him in confusion.

There was a man behind her, whom Jeongguk identify immediately, since Yerim was absurdly small and, the stranger, was noticeably taller than her. As he analyzed the male, his heart started beating slower.

“What are you doing here?” Yerim asked “You should have called me.”

She entered, putting her purse on the couch. The man took a few steps in, hesitantly. Jeongguk clenched his jaw, biting the part inside his mouth.

“Who is this?” he asked in an annoyed tone, not worrying to point at the mentioned person.

“Taeyong” she simply said, taking off the black high heels she hated so much “He is from my work” she added, scratching her neck in tiredness “Taeyong, this is Jeongguk, a friend of mine.”

The introduction hurt Jeongguk. A friend of mine. If Yerim knew the power her words had on him, she would think twice before speaking. Taeyong didn’t bother greeting Jeongguk, just like Jeongguk didn’t bother greeting Taeyong. The both of them were too proud and honest to pretend they had enjoyed meeting each other.

“And what the hell is he doing here, Yerim?” Jeongguk shot her another question, following Yerim with his eyes.

She spotted the chicken Jeongguk had prepared and she turned at him.

“You really should have called me, Jeon” she sighed, shaking her head “We went out for dinner. If I knew you were cooking, I would have come straight home” she grabbed a roll of laminated paper.

She started wrapping the chicken with it, ready to save it on her fridge. Jeongguk and Taeyong waited in silence, observing her. The first was shocked and confused by the scene he was watching, meanwhile the second was just bored, probably waiting for Yerim to kick Jeongguk out.

Jeongguk glanced at Taeyong, c