The guy was almost an hour late.

The only reason Joohyun found herself, currently, scowling at the white tablecloth, hoping that she could find some way to disappear, was the fact that she had somehow been roped into a date with someone she had never met before.

And it was all thanks to her mother.

She was reluctant at first, refusing to consider her mother's proposal. Despite what popular culture dictated, she did not need to be dependent or rely on anyone for her happiness. Especially, when she was so focused on finishing her degree in English that she barely had time to date, anyone.

It’s not as if no person asked her out; on the contrary with her otherworldly beauty of raven lock and beautiful brown eyes that would drown a person, Joohyun discovers herself on the receiving end of many proposals by guys who would do anything to date her. Yet, she found herself turning down each of their offers, as she barely felt any attraction towards them.

But sometimes, she would admit, in the recesses of her mind, that she did get lonely at times. Particularly when she ended up being the third wheel with her friends and their partners, everywhere they went – the cinema, the park, or even hanging out together.

But, Joohyun had pushed the tiny persistent thoughts out of her mind and was stubborn enough to refuse dating for some time. Overall, she had far more important aspects of her life to prioritise than worrying about her love life.

Yet, chances were that Joohyun had become sick at the looks of pity thrown upon her from nosy aunts and uncles at every familiar gathering. She was able to count the number of times that she has to resist slamming her hand on the dinner table after she was forcibly prodded and questioned on whether she had a boyfriend or not. Instead, she settled for an intense glare and pursed lips at whoever was asking, until they broke eye contact and then, leaving no room for an argument, claimed that she was concentrating on her studies.

They would tut afterwards, their arm reaching across the table for hers in what seemed to be a comforting manner. Joohyun had to focus on not wrenching her hand free from their grasp and flinching; instead, she plastered on the fakest smile she could create and forced herself to listen to their uncomfortable crooning.

‘It’s okay, my darling niece. You’ll find someone soon,’ they would say, gripping a glass of red wine in the other.

She would jerk a nod and pick up her chopsticks in case she felt as if she would scream in their faces

Even her mother would not let go of the subject and resolved to bring up her lack of a love life, in every instance she received.

A few days ago, during breakfast, her mother had come into the kitchen and declared to have found the perfect guy for Joohyun. ‘Please, Joohyun, you’re not getting any older,’ her mother pleaded. ‘He’s your ideal type and is completely perfect for you. You’ll both look so good together.’

Joohyun had secretly rolled her eyes behind her piece of toast. Without peering up from her phone she answered in a disinterested tone, 'No thank you, I’m not interested.’

Her mother glared. ‘Bae Joohyun, you are going to end up as an old spinster with cats for the rest of your life if you don’t find someone,’ her mother growled then softened. ‘Just one date and you can decide for yourself.’

‘Do I have a choice?’ Joohyun dryly muttered, aware of her mother’s tendency to be as stubborn as she was to get what she wanted.

Her mother ignored her and smiled brightly. ‘You won’t regret it, I promise. You’ll be the ideal couple together. Just you wait and see.'

So here she found herself, clad in a black dress with heels, sitting on a table at a restaurant table waiting for a guy she had never met before. 

She glanced at her phone. He was an hour late.

So much so for an ideal couple, she scoffed and leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed across her chest.

Joohyun, by this point, just wanted to go home. She doubted he was going to arrive so late from the supposed time they were meant to meet. It was time to face the truth she had been ignoring for the past forty minutes.

She had been stood up.

She felt her lip start to quiver as a lump formed in the back of . She forced her feelings down, willing the tears not to fall. 

She didn’t know what to do, though. Should she get up and leave? She hadn’t ordered anything and stuck to a glass of water as she waited for him to arrive. Would that be considered rude? She had been taking up a table for an hour without ordering anything. Surely people would notice?

She peered around and noticed a few people that were sitting around her, attempting to catch discreet, secret glances at her. A few had already given her pitying looks and some were beginning to let out hu