~Chapter Song: Henry ’It's You’~

“Will you be my girlfriend? WILL you be my girlfriend? Will you be MY girlfriend? Will you BE my girlfriend? Ah what are you doing, you sound like an idiot!” A frustrated and nervous Seung-Ho was staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror of the restaurant he and So-Hyun were at trying to formulate a way to ask So-Hyun to be his girlfriend.

After she had left his house that night, he set out a date for the next weekend where he wanted to make things official between them. During the whole week he had been debating with himself on whether to ask or not, he didn’t want to do it partly because their relationship was already a risky one and he somehow thought if they added a title to it, she would be even more burdened.

But he also wanted to ask her because he knows that So-Hyun is also a woman and he wanted to make sure she knew he was all hers officially.

He had it all planned out in his head; candle-lit dinner, a little wine and romantic music to top it off. But the closer the day came the more nervous he got and the more he realised that all that wasn’t So-Hyun’s style.

“Google said it would work on anyone though” He muttered, fixing his hair in the mirror.

But then again Google doesn’t know So-Hyun like I do.

He walked back into the private room that he had booked for them and took another moment to look at the beauty in front of him. She was wearing a black lace dress with her hair bone straight and lips lathered in red lipstick, enticing him. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” He asked approaching the table.

“Yes, about ten times already” She said making fun of him.

“Ah, is that so” He said giving a nervous smile, “Well it’s true”

“Thank you”

“So-Hyun-ah, do you know that?” He started, trying to gather his words into something understandable.

“What?”

“Do you know why we want who we want?” He asked, his attention now fixed on the steak in front of him. “Attraction can creep up on us unexpectedly, and we think that we have no dominion or control over who we like purely based on the idea that someone is good looking. But that’s not true”

“We can actually overcome any form of attraction at first sight, just look at you. I’m sure you were attracted to me at first but forced yourself not to give in” He said with a smirk, carefully looking at her reaction.

“Wrong, I really wasn’t attracted to you” she said with a smile.

“Anyway” He continued brushing it off, “The real determiner is the chemistry between two people, it’s all biology, looks can only get you so far, so-”

“Seonsaengnim” So-Hyun cut him off with a little laugh

“Hmm?”

“Am I taking Psych101 or am I on a date?” Her eyes staring at him in amusement.

“Ah sorry”

“No, I like it, but you seem different today, like you’re nervous” she observed.

“Ah really, was it that obvious?”

“Seonsaengnim, what do you really want to say?”

“So-Hyun-ah, I’ve probably thought of about a thousand ways I could ask you this question and I still failed to find one. I’m carefully falling in love with you and I don’t know how you’ll take it, you don’t even have to give me an answer but I just- “

“Seonsaengnim, what is it that you want to say” So-Hyun asked carefully, taking his hands in hers.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” There, I said it.

So-Hyun let out a sigh of relief, at least it wasn’t the question she thought he was trying to ask. Holding his hand tighter she , “Seonsaengnim, why is it that you lose your cool around me? It’s a relief that I get to be the only one to see you like this”

“Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend”. She grinned and watched as he pulled out a silver pendant necklace from his pocket and placed it in her hands.

“Seonsaengnim” Her eyes widened in surprise

“In this secret that we’ve both entangled ourselves in, I’ll be your safe haven. When I’m not with you, you can speak to that necklace and think of it as me knowing that you’re not alone. I know it’s a bit corny, but I genuinely mean it, I’m serious about you” He whispered with nervous eyes.

“Seonsaengnim...”

“I’ll always be on your side” He added.

“Thank you” Words couldn’t form how she felt, perhaps it was a combination of being touched and coming to the realisation that this was all real.

^^^^

The next morning So-Hyun stood in front of her mirror staring at the necklace Seung-Ho had given her. This was the first present she’d ever gotten from someone that wasn’t her mother or brother and rubbing it softly she spoke to it. “Seonsaengnim, I’m not quite sure what love is yet, but because of you… Because of Seonsaengnim, I think I’m getting closer to finding out”.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her mum calling for her. Approaching the bottom of the stairs, she saw her mother sat by the kitchen table with legs crossed and arms folded waiting for her.

“Mum, you called?”

“Sit down” Her mother said eyes following So-Hyun as she moved carefully to sit in front of her.

“W-what’s wrong? What’s with the mood, you’re scaring me” So-Hyun said half-joking but scanning over hundreds of things she could have done this past week to upset her mother. Did I forget to defrost the meat?

“You” Her mother started “You’re dating someone aren’t you?” Her mother questioned, now smiling at her daughter.

“Huh?” was her response, flustered by the question. How does she know?

“So-Hyun-ah, I’m your mother it’s called instincts every mother in the world has it and mine’s telling me that you’ve got someone” she teased “Who is he? Is he good looking?”

“Mum! S-stop, I-I’m not dating anyone”

“Then w-why d-d-do you keep s-stuttering” Her mother probed further, teasing her “You can’t hide it from me. My daughter, the most anti-social being in all of Seoul has suddenly started going out and made a new friend, staying out later than usual… and even sleep talking about love”

Sleep talking?! So-Hyun’s eyes widened

“Ha! I was just testing you but judging by your reaction there must be someone. Is it Jin-Goo? Well he’s a nice kid, a little dopey, but cute”

“Mum!”

“What?”

“It’s not Jin-Goo” So-Hyun confessed

“So, there is someone! My instincts never fail me, so who is he? Don’t worry I’m not going to ask you to introduce him… yet. It’s okay to date So-Hyun-ah” Her mother grinned “I’m not asking you to get married or anything, I just want to make sure that you’re happy”

Her mother walked to sit down by So-Hyun’s side “Are you happy?”

“… I’m happy” she replied leaning into her mother’s arms.

“Then that’s all that matters.”

“He’s… He’s also a little older” She confessed again

“Well, that’s not a problem I guess. But he’s not an Ahjussi right?” Her mum asked now peering at her daughter.

“No” So-Hyun said giving her mum a small smile “He’s six years older…”

“Well… that’s not bad. A lot of boys go to the army in the middle of their degree so I guess it’s expected”.

“He’s” He’s also my professor.

As So-Hyun looked into her mother’s excited eyes she couldn’t bring herself to say it knowing it would shatter every idea that she had about her daughter’s first relationship. At least she didn’t lie about one thing. She really was happy with Professor Seung-Ho, happier than she’d ever expected to be with him.

“He’s a really nice guy” she finished

“I’m happy to hear that”.

So-Hyun started to make her way upstairs but stopped halfway when her phone buzzed.

Jin-Goo:

>Come outside

“Outside?” she muttered in confusion.