The Sun has just drowned itself in the river. Sohyun and Seungho found themselves drunk in the ‘Just us’ moment but sobered up as soon as the street lights are light up. On the way to her house, she asked him to drop off in the corner at the usual place. On reaching there, he refuted,

“I can drop you near your house. I bought a black car, so it’ll be a camouflage! I’ll turn off the headlights too!”

She smiled and said, “That won’t do. See you tomorrow!”. She got down and walked towards her house. When she heard the car door opening, she turned back to find him getting out of the car. She raised her eyebrows questioning his reason for getting down. He shook his head sideways ensuring its nothing. She took few steps towards her house and turned back again. He was still looking at her smiling. She ran towards him and hugged. When he hugged her back smiling, she tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek and said, “Good night”. When she tried to pull back from the hug, he pulled her in. She said, “These sweet kisses…”, he interrupted to complete her sentence, “…Would suffice” and he continued, “Since, you say that, I’ll leave even without a nudge!”. He gazed at her for a second and let her go. The contended look she gave him before leaving, nested itself in his memories.

When she reached home, she put the necklace inside her clothes to hide it. As she entered, she saw her mom sitting on the sofa in the living room. Mrs. Kim who was anxiously waiting for Sohyun, breathed out in relief when she saw her. She understood the anxiety her mother has. She said softly, “I’m home, Mom”, Mrs. Kim hugged her and Sohyun’s warmth melted the tear in her eyes. Since, Mrs. Kim has never met Seungho before, she hesitates to place her faith on him. When Seungho said he wanted to meet her mother, she procrastinated because of the trauma that resulted from the encounter between her father and Seungho. But, she wants to risk it now since, she can’t let her mom to be anxious every time she goes out.

After a while, Sohyun went upstairs. She found Jiwoo standing in the middle of her room crossing her arms. Her stare told Sohyun that she is not in good mood. Sohyun jokingly asked, “How long have you been standing in that pose?”. Jiwoo’s face became stern. Her stern face raised doubts. Sohyun hesitantly asked, “Wha... what happened?”. Jiwoo’s straight lips curved to a smile and hugged Sohyun while exclaiming, “Congratulations!!!!!”. Sohyun sighed in relief and hugged her back after giving a gentle slap on her arm for teasing her. In the middle of rejoice, Sohyun’s phone rang. She immediately broke the hug and looked at the phone. When Sohyun smiled, Jiwoo found that it was Seungho. Jiwoo remarked, “You are a goner!” and left her room. Sohyun answered,

“Oye! Nampyeon!”

He chuckled and asked, “Why is your balcony door shut?”

Sohyun eyes widened. She rushed to balcony after opening it. She saw Seungho down in the alley showing his dimples smiling cheekily. She told in disbelief, “Now, I’m really a goner!” and asked him apprehensively,

Why are you here, we just bid our good byes!

Just to remind you, it’s our first night as married couple (smiling slyly)

Now that you’ve reminded…

So…. (expectantly looked at her)

So, Good night!

What? Good night?!

Yes! Good Night!

She hung up the phone and went inside her room smiling from ear to ear. She switched the lights off after closing the balcony door. He saw her silhouette standing behind the door and understood, she was still looking at him behind the closed glass panelled doors. He laughed and mumbled, “Crook!” before he drove off.

Seungho went to his office too find his colleagues cleaning it. He and his colleagues rented a floor of a small commercial building in Seoul. Their office was on the first floor while the remaining six floors are occupied by other commercial establishments. With the money they have, they could only rent that small old building. To renovate, buy the office equipment and other necessities, they have applied for business loan. When he entered the empty office, Yoonpark who saw him first shouted, “Here comes the groom!”. Everyone congratulated him again and had their dinner together. While having the dinner, Yoonpark asked him, “I wanted to ask you something… It’s been three years, right? But, you two still act like high school couples?”. Seungho looked at him and on swallowing the noodles he said, “Thanks for the compliment!” and smiled. Yoonpark sighed and mumbled, “Compliment?!”. Yoonpark looked at others and said, “Looks like we can get nothing out of him regarding his love life. I give up”, he said raising his hand. On seeing Seungho nodding at his remark while enjoying the noodles, Yoonpark told him, “At least tell us when you have a baby”. Without any huge reaction which Yoonpark expected, Seungho said, “Definitely!” and resumed eating. Everyone sighed and laughed at his remark simultaneously.

It’s been a week, but the excitement in Sohyun still hasn’t subsided. With Seungho finishing his master’s, he won’t be found in college which makes the college less fun for her. She’ll be busy with classes since she enters the second phase of fourth year which marks the last phase where classes will be conducted in College. In three months her house surgency will begin. After getting ready for the classes, Sohyun came out of the house with Jiwoo, she saw Jaeha getting down from the car to receive them. On seeing him, Sohyun exclaimed, “Jaeha-sshi? When did you come back?!”

Jaeha smirked and asked, “Amnesia?”

As Sohyun bewildered, Jiwoo whispered that Jaeha came back to Seoul on the day of their meeting and he was the one who dropped her and Mr. Kim home. Sohyun knew the she was absent minded in the past month but didn’t think it was this bad. She smiled in embarrassment and mouthed ‘Mian!’. When Sohyun and Jiwoo took the back seat, he commented, “I feel like a driver, if both of you sit in the back”.

Jiwoo shook her head at Sohyun and said, “I won’t move from this seat!”. Jaeha retorted, “This car won’t move from this place!”. Sohyun rolled her eyes and got down to take the front passenger seat. When she sat in the front, Jaeha looked at her sighing which made him smile. Sohyun fidgeted to find the comfort. A smile crept in her lips when she realized the comfort she felt when she sat in Seungho’s car was because it has been customised, for her. Jaeha noted her smile. When Jaeha dropped Sohyun after leaving Jiwoo at her office, Sohyun said, “Convey my thanks to your mom for today and that day” and walked off.

Jaeha immediately got down and said, “It wasn’t mom’s order, today and that day”.

On hearing him, Sohyun stopped walking and turned towards him in surprise. She said, “Then, I thank… you, Jaeha-sshi”

“Do you remember the treat you owe me?”, he shouted, which attracted the attention of everyone around them.

She nodded and stood still embarrassed by the attention of people on her.

“Then, a cup of coffee and an hour of your time?”, he shouted again.

Unable to bear the attention of people anymore, Sohyun hushed and rushed to him. She said, “Ok, as you wish… but please don’t shout”.

“Then call me Jaeha like I call you Sohyun!”

“Are you trying to flirt with me?”, Sohyun .

He laughed and said, “May be”. On seeing her eyes widening taken aback by his reply, he said, “May be not!”

Sohyun smirked and said, “My class will start in ten minutes, but doctor seems to have too much time in his hand”.

“Student seems to be busier than a doctor”

“Ok, how about tomorrow afternoon? I don’t have any work in the afternoon. What about you?”

“I have work, but I can spare some time”

“Are you indirectly stating that you are a busy body, or you are sparing some time especially for me?”

“How can I convey it more directly than that?”

Sohyun gave up and said, “Ok, then its decided. Bye Jaeha-sshi…”, shook her head and said, “…Jaeha”, she uttered in a rush and ran towards her class.

After the class for the day was over, when Sohyun came out, she was surprised to find Yooram waiting for her. She bowed greeting him. Yooram said that he came there to pick her up to see Seungho. Yooram dropped Sohyun at the entrance of Seungho’s office and took his leave.

Seungho once brought Sohyun to his office to introduce her to his colleagues officially. At that time, the place was a mess but after cleaning up, it looked bigger than before, but it still looked empty without furniture. As she walked in, someone wrapped their arms around her waist from behind and pulled her in. Though she was startled when she felt the arms on her clothes but as soon as she saw the hands, she knew it was him.

While hugging her from the behind, wrapping his arms around her waist, Seungho  puller her to his room and showed her an ergonomic office chair and said, “That’s my chair”. He has just taken the cover off the brand-new chair and the scrapped plastic sheets were still lying on the floor around the chair. “That looks nice, Mr. Executive”, she said, breaking from his hug. He pulled her by her waist and took the seat on the chair and made her sit on his lap. When wrapped her softly in his arms, she gave in and intertwined fingers. He took a paper from the bag beside the chair and showed it to her.

Gently resting his chin on her collarbone, “Marriage certificate is here but you are there”, he said denoting that they live separately.

“Only for some days”

“How many days?”

“Till I complete my internship”

“Mm-hmm”

“Till you earn from your computer”

He chuckled.

A moment of silence prevailed as Seungho closed his eyes leaning on Sohyun while resting his chin on her collarbone and wrapping his arms around her waist. Sohyun let him rest and to get rid of boredom, she played tracing the veins in his hand with her fingers. As she traced to his wrist, he saw the time on his watch and exclaimed though softly to not startle him, “It’s late! I have to go”. He still had his eyes closed refusing to get up. She slowly tried to free herself from his hold. He gripped his hold on her and said, “I know it’s late, but don’t go just now. I want to snuggle up with my super smart wife but she want to run away unable to make up an excuse for tardiness”. Since Mrs. Kim and Jiwoo already know where she has been, she can’t make up excuses. So, she retorted, “What should I tell them?”. “Tell them lies”, he said nonchalantly. She got up and dragged him out after a struggle.

They had their dinner in the casual restaurant below his office. After having dinner, he headed towards her house and halted the car near the house at the usual place. Before she got off, he asked her, “Wish me luck”.

“‘Wish you luck’”, she said bluntly.

He stared at her for giving him a straight statement.

“Why? Didn’t I say it correctly?”

“You didn’t say it honestly! I’m meeting someone important tomorrow and you are giving me this”

As soon as he said it, Sohyun leaned in and placed a quick peck on his lips and said, “All the best, Nampyeon! Fighting!” and left the car. He smiled. Her responses never failed in making him dumbfounded.

When Sohyun came home, “You are all smiles Sohyun-ah!”, Mrs. Shin said who was sitting on the sofa in the living room drinking the tea that Mrs. Kim served.

“I’m always smiling but today it is something special”, Sohyun said after greeting Mrs. Shin.

Nowadays, Mrs. Shin frequent Sohyun’s house a lot. She stays for long hours till Jiwoo arrives and leaves after a short talk with Jiwoo.

Seungho lied down on his bed, thinking about the meeting with Kang Chulmin tomorrow. It’s his golden opportunity because Kang Chulmin is back in Seoul after Vacation. If he leaves this chance, it will not do good for the company. And he is not someone who can be approached easily too. When all these thoughts run around his mind clashing onto one another, a message beep gave them a stop sign. It was the message from Sohyun informing him that she can’t make it to today’s call during the night and she wished him for tomorrow saying, ‘Chase him till you meet him and continue chasing him till he gives you his support. Remember how you did it in the past?’. He chuckled and sent a reply, ‘You were sending me signals, and as a gentleman I reciprocated it because I didn’t want to break your heart. You call that chasing?’

Next day, again Jaeha dropped Sohyun and Jiwoo at college and office respectively.

And Seungho waited in front of the conference room where Kang Chulmin is. After half an hour, Kang Chulmin came out. He looked like a simpleton and didn’t have any secretary by his side to carry his bags. He walked out with his dark coloured checked formal shirt and pants with a cardigan. His wise hair showed his age and vast experience. He saw Seungho standing there and approached him. Kang Chulmin asked, “I heard some wantrepreneur is looking for me, is that you?”. Seungho greeted him with a 90-degree bow and, “I’m Yoo Seungho, an entrepreneur”, he said correcting him and continued, “And I need your assistance and guidance for our start-up”. Kang Chulmin has seen several young students coming up to him and asking him for favours, but none withstood the risks involved in the start-ups so, he usually make them lose interest in his assistance by procrastinating the meeting. So, he said as usual, “Let’s discuss about it, when we meet next time”. He walked past Seungho and boarded the elevator.

Seungho stood still unable to speak against his words. But Sohyun’s words echoed in his mind, ‘Continue chasing him’. He immediately rushed towards the stairs, as there was only one elevator, but Kang Chulmin already boarded in it. He ran, skipped, and jumped the steps to cross five floors and reached the lobby. He rushed towards the elevator. The elevator didn’t reach the lobby yet since, it stopped at each floor. He rested his hands on his knees catching his breath. When the elevator door opened, Kang Chulmin was astonished to see Seungho standing in front of him, sweating and panting. Seungho stood straight gathering his composure and said, “Sir, we have met again, shall we discuss now?”. Kang Chulmin smiled and patted on his shoulder. He gave him a card which has his number and said, “Yoo Seungho right?”. He nodded. Kang Chulmin said, “Shall we discuss in your office tomorrow? Let me have your number”. Seungho gave his card and bowed to thank him. Kang Chulmin bowed back and took his leave.

Sohyun’s class ended early. She headed to library to prepare for the presentation that she was assigned to. She collected materials and research papers and chose a study table in the corner to read. She got engrossed in reading a research paper and lost track of time. She got a call from an unknown number, so she went out of study room and picked it up,

Hello! Who is this?

It’s me. Got your number from Jiwoo. Where are you?

(Sohyun recognised Jaeha’s voice and immediately looked up the time. She gasped as it has already been an hour late than their promised time. Struck with guilt, she hesitantly said) In front of the library.

Thank God. I didn’t arrive on time to wait for you.

(she breathed out in relief and asked) What if you were?

I would have waited and fumed, and finally would’ve given up and called you.

(She perplexed upon understanding his words) Are you waiting in front of the college?

Nope. Now, I’m in front of your class. And your classmates are asking who am I meeting with?

Don’t tell them anything. I will be there in 10 minutes.

She rushed back gathering her things in the table. On the way out, she saw Shin Jaeha in the guests’ reading section in the library, waving at her, and holding a book on the other hand. She said supressing her anger, “Is this your idea of joke?”. “It’s not a joke but a coffee time”, Jaeha responded with a smile. Sohyun asked, “How do you know I’m here?”.

“I asked your classmates and saw you immersed in the book, I didn’t want to disturb you so I waited, but my stomach grumbled!”

“My classmates? Didn’t I tell you not to tell them anything? They’ll get a wrong idea!”

“You just said it now moreover, you didn’t say ‘don’t ask them anything’”

Sohyun slapped her forehead and said, “Shall we take our leave?”

Jaeha let Sohyun to choose the Coffee shop since its her treat. They reached the shop and ordered the drinks. While waiting for the drinks, Jaeha said, “Did you…”, but he was interrupted by a call for Sohyun. Sohyun excused herself and went away from the table to take the call. After a while, she came back and saw that the orders have arrived but found him waiting for her. She said,

“Sorry! It’s an important call. Why didn’t you start having your drink? You said your stomach grumbled?!”

He smiled and said, “I wanted to wait.”

She smiled back and took her seat. “You were saying before the call?”

He nodded, “Did you think about it?”

She looked at him blankly and asked, “About?”

He shook his head and said, “Nothing”

Jaeha automatically smiled when she saw her enjoying the drink. When he realised he is unconsciously smiling, he immediately held it in. He asked, “A week before, I saw you in front of the local city hall with Jiwoo, what brought you there?”

Several thoughts processed in her mind in a split of a second.