"Here it is!" my friend, Sheila squealed as she grabbed my arm. I looked at her quizzically. "What?" she asked when she noticed me staring.

         "You know coming to this new cafe is not gonna change my mind from my favorite cafe right?" I pointed out. 

         "I know I know! But there's nothing wrong with trying something new right? Plus your favorite cafe has closed down, and this one took over." 

         "Not helping, Sheila!" I rolled my eyes. 

          "Oh come on! I have a feeling that you will like this cafe much better than the previous one. There's a barista who is cute as hell! And he has this brightest smile every female customer has witnessed!" 

          "Really?" I chuckled, "the reason why you come to this cafe a few times now is to see the barista?" 

          "Trust me, girl!" Sheila winked, "This barista is like no other guys you've ever seen in this world! He looks like a freaking K-Pop star! Come on! Let's go!" 

           She dragged me through the glass doors and into a dining space furnished with wooden tables and colorful couches. Portraits of Paris and Seoul were hung on dark blue walls. The aesthetics sort of drew me in. Sheila suddenly gave a subtle squeak as she slapped my arm. "There he is there he is there he is!" I looked in front, and my heart literally skipped a beat. A man in a dark blue sweatshirt stood by the coffee machine. As I took a closer look, his sleeves were rolled up that revealed his thin but smooth-looking wrists. His side profile was constructed of a pair of beautiful brown eyes, a cute round nose, a y jawline, and plump pink lips. His chestnut brown hair was in a neat haircut; his bangs almost reached to his single eyelids.

            I was so mesmerized by him when suddenly I felt a sharp pinch on my arm. "Ouch! What was that for?" I yelped. 

            "Told you that you would fall for that barista!" Sheila giggled. 

            "W...what are you talking about?" I stuttered. 

            "You're infatuated by him, aren't ya? Don't worry! I'm infatuated by him as well! In fact, I notice a lot of female customers glancing at him non-stop! I wonder if he even notices that he's the heartthrob of the cafe." 

             "Hello, ladies! What can I get for you?" a voice made up jump. We turned to see the barista tapping the screen at the counter with a smile that instantly made my heart thump. Oh gosh! Sheila wasn't even kidding at all! I think the cupid must have been in stealth mode to shoot arrows at girls when seeing this guy.

             "Hi! I'll get a Caramel Macchiato, please!" Sheila chirped. She batted her eyelashes, but the barista immediately looked at me.

             "And what about you?"

             "Oh! Um...I'll have uh....a Matcha Latte please." I cleared my throat.

             "Sure!" he smiled as he tapped the screen. "Would you like to have regular milk, soy milk, or almond milk?"

             "Regular milk should be fine," I replied.

             "Got it! That'll be..." he was cut off by Sheila who suddenly gasped.

             "Oh yeah! We should get something to eat as well! How about a Matcha Tiramisu to go with,______?" She said while pointing at the chalkboard menu. 

             "I guess that's okay." I nodded. 

             "Okay! So a Caramel Macchiato, a Matcha Latte, and a Matcha Tiramisu. That'll be 12 dollars and 48 cents, please." the barista said. 

             Sheila told him to separate the bills, and then we pay for our orders. The barista smiled at Sheila for not more than two seconds, but as he turned to me, he smiled at me, oddly, a teeny bit longer. My heartbeat was pretty much an irregular stampede. I was about to lean forward as if I was drawn to his casual but friendly gaze when Sheila pulled me away from his hypnotizing spell. "Girl! I think that barista has gotten you smitten!" she laughed and led me to a table. 

             "I wasn't!" I hissed. 

             "Then why are your cheeks pink?" 

              "Huh?" I touched my cheeks which were clearly heating up. I spotted the barista was in the midst of operating the coffee machine when, to my surprise, saw me staring. I smiled, and his lips curled in return. I turned back to see Sheila smirking. "Just because he's cute, doesn't mean I will ask him out." 

              "Oh come on! It's obvious that you like him!" she pinpointed. 

               "Love at first sight doesn't always work!" 

               "But your face clearly shows that you're in love with him at first sight." 

                "Am not!" 

                "Girl!" she sighs as she places one hand on my shoulder, "Don't deny yourself! I know that it's been 2 years since your last breakup, so you shouldn't be afraid to allow someone else to enter into your heart." 

                 "Why do you have to bring that up again?" I groaned. Every time she sees me eyeing a guy, she always reminds me about my past relationship with my first boyfriend. He was a jerk who cheated on me for another girl, because he was tired of being around the "overweight, crooked teeth, lack-of-fun" me. Ever since then, I gave up on giving dating another try. But this barista, unlike the other guys I've seen, was like an angel fallen from heaven. I guess it's been a while since I felt butterflies in my stomach and my heart beating mad when I saw a guy. 

                 "Because that relationship was like a panda falling down a cliff. It took you almost a year to be healed from that breakup. Now it's time for you to put your trust in another guy who may be better than your ex-boyfriend. And so maybe that guy over there will be a decision you will never regret." 

                 "Who says I'm gonna ask him out?" I raised my eyebrow. 

                 "Uhhh, says the one who is blushing over the barista." 

                  "But what if he's taken?" 

                  "Only one way to find out!" 

                  "What if he's not attracted to me?" 

                  "Good Lord, _______! Just go and ask for his number! Or email! Or social media account username!" 

                  "Ahem!" a male voice made us both jump. The barista carried a tray with our orders all set. "I hope I'm not intruding, ladies." 

                  "Oh! No! Not at all!" Sheila replied. She flashed a flirty smile and twirled a lock of her hair with her forefinger. I squinted at her, feeling annoyed at the fact that she's trying to flirt with him even though she's clearly trying to hook me up with him. 

                   "Thank you," I said once he placed my Matcha latte in front of me. I noticed that his cheeks were tinted with a shade of shyness as well. He was about to leave when suddenly he took a deep breath and said, "C...can I..get your name?" 

                   "Huh?" I looked up in surprise. 

                   "Can I...uh...get your name?" He seemed to be stumbling with his words, which I find a lot cuter than his smile. 

                   "It's ___________." I answered. 

                   "_________!" he grinned, "I'm Hyukjae." 

                   "Nice to meet you, Hyukjae." I smiled, loving the way his name sounds from my mouth. 

                   "Do you come here often?" he asked. He seemed to be a little bit comfortable talking now. 

                   "This is my first time here. My friend, Sheila, brought me here." I pointed at my friend who was watching us while sipping her Caramel Macchiato. 

                   "Well, we've been running this cafe for a couple of weeks now, and so we have a lot of new things coming up very soon." 

                   "Oh shoot!" Sheila gasped, "I just remembered that I have to make an important phone call! I'll be right back, okay?" She got up and grabbed her purse. She winked at me as she trotted off. I panicked a little when I realized that she's leaving me and the cute guy alone. As I turned my head back, I saw another employee helping out at the cashier corner. 

                   "Shouldn't you...uh...get back to work?" 

                  "Oh don't worry about it!" he shrugged, "I'm on a short break." 

                  "Oh cool!" 

                  "Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to...go out with me...some time?" he asked. 

                  "I....uh...yeah! Sure!" 

                  "It's just that," he blurted, "I think you're pretty, and it's been a while since I'm attracted to someone, and so I want to get to know more of you." 

                  Those words made my heart galloped, and more butterflies were fluttering in my stomach. This may be stupid, but I haven't heard any guy calling me pretty in a long time. It's not that I have low self-esteem or anything. It's been a long time since I got a simple compliment from someone else, especially a guy. A cute guy with the brightest smile I've ever seen. "T...thank you." I bowed, ignoring my burning cheeks. 

                  "Do you wanna perhaps go out for lunch someday?" 

                  "Yeah! That sounds good!" 

                  "Awesome!" he smiled and fished in his jeans pocket for his phone. We exchanged numbers right away, and funny that he didn't ask for my social media information. Well, I would probably stalk his profiles when I added him on social media. Plus, we just met, and it'll be awkward if I learn about his interests and history right before our first date. So I guess it's a good idea that he decides our first date to be a fresh start. An ice breaker, if I were to describe this better. 

                 "I'll see you on Friday then, ______." he smiled. The sides of his eyes wrinkle with satisfaction and accomplishment. He's someone who is proud of himself for taking a step forward to ask a girl out, and I find this really attractive. Plus, the advanced technological world we're living in now prevents people from digging in others' selves deeper. Verbally and patiently. Nowadays, we can just ask someone out or knowing a person with just one swipe on the screen of a device. Hyukjae seemed to be a chill, down-to-earth guy, and maybe that's why I look forward to our first date. 

                "Yo! ______! Done gaga-ing over the barista?" Sheila called as she plopped back onto her chair. She instantly noticed a sudden silly smile on my face and her face lit up. "Looks like someone got a date!" 

                 "I guess I am," I giggled. 

                 "Oh! My! Gosh! I'm so happy for you!" she shrieked. She was about to reach her arms out to hug me, but she bent over way too close over the table that a blotch of icing from the Matcha tiramisu smudged onto her black cardigan. "Fudge!" she frowned as she wiped the mess with a napkin. 

                  "Aren't you jealous though?" I mumbled. 

                  "About what?" 

                  "You like him too right?" 

                  "Yeah but...I have three dates coming up, and so I don't think I have time to squeeze in a fourth one. You know that I'm into online dating recently right? And there's a bunch of hot guys on East Meet East, and so I've picked a few, and now I'm booked with three dates."

                  "So...why are you dragging me here?" 

                  "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be asked out on a date with that cute barista!" 

                  "Okay! Okay! Point taken!" 

                  "Besides, I don't like seeing my best friend feeling lonely. It's been a while since I've seen you being happy with a guy so...I thought this may be a chance for you to open up again." 

                  "Sheila..." I trailed off. 

                  "Fingers crossed!" Sheila said, "I hope that this date will go well between you and him, otherwise I will feel even more pitiful seeing you cuddling on the couch with a book." 

                   "Hey! Solitude is healthy!" 

                   "Yeah, but reading Nicholas Sparks novels every weekend isn't gonna help with your loneliness." 

                    "Whatever."

---

                     I couldn't believe that I was so nervous that night. Despite the spring cold, my palms were sweaty inside my leather gloves and my cheeks were burning just dreaming about Hyukjae. This infatuation is getting out of hand! I never expect that I've been constantly thinking about him ever since our first encounter. I arrived at the Korean restaurant two minutes before our meeting time, and I pondered on whether I should text him or not. 

                      "Hey! You've made it!" his voice made me turn my head to the right. My heart did a triple flip because the first thing I saw was how he dressed. The brown coat with black, green, and red flannel patterns contrasted so well with his inner green flannel shirt and black and white striped shirt underneath. Did I mention that I'm a total er for guys in flannel? His skin was just as flawless as I remember. He's just so gorgeous that I feel like running to him and kissing his whole face. But I pushed my inner fangirl thoughts at the back of my head and waved.

                    "Hey! How's it going?" I greeted. 

                     "Good!" he replied. I realized that one of his hands was behind his back. He revealed a bouquet of roses and handed them to me with a shy smile, "I thought I would get you this to start off our first date." 

                     "Aww! You shouldn't have! Thank you!" I said as I took the roses from him. My fingers brushed lightly against his, and I swore the butterflies in my stomach just multiplied. I touched the petals and smelled them up close; they were indeed real ones. 

                      Hyukjae led me to the restaurant, and we got a table in not more than a minute. I decided to go for his suggestion, which was a small set of pork and beef to be fried on the grill in front of us. We also ordered spicy tofu soup and seafood pancake on the side. He told me that he's a drinker, but he decided not to get makgeolli (rice wine) or soju because he didn't wanna get tipsy in the middle of the day. He also respected me for being not much of a drinker, which I find surprising because my ex-boyfriend would beg me to give a cup of wine a try. I took a sip, and I pushed it aside. This time, Hyukjae wanted to know what I like and what I don't like. He listened intently to my blabber about my love for music and my dream of traveling to Korea. When it's his turn to talk about himself, I like his reason on starting a business here in Vancouver. 

                    "Korea has way too many cafes with aesthetics, and so I thought I would want to bring the art of cafe aesthetics to another country. Better yet, to a country very distant from Korea. Yes, Canada has a big number of Korean immigrants, but as a business owner myself, I know I have to take risks and step out of my comfort zone so that I can explore the world and learn new things while making my work successful. I like Vancouver so far. It's very multicultural here, and I love how friendly and respectful everyone is." 

                     "So you're bringing a part of Korea with you here. I noticed it from the portraits in your cafe." 

                     "Oh yeah? I'm glad that you've noticed!" he grinned, "Those are actually photographs taken by my older sister. She allowed me to hang some of her work on the walls of my cafe. Those are not for sale, just for display. Still, I'm grateful that she allows me to bring some of her photographs here." 

                     "That's really nice." 

                     "She also went to Paris to take photos as well, and she gave me some. The Eiffel Tower one is my favorite. She really has captured it at a good angle and a good amount of lighting." 

                     "Have you been to Paris?" 

                      "No," he sighed, "but I wish I can go there one day. It's a big dream of mine." 

                      "Oh wow! It would be amazing if you can go to Paris!" 

                       "I know right! I've seen videos of people eating baguettes and watching the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. I wish I can experience those things in person." 

                      "Then maybe you should make it happen." 

                      "I know! And so now that I'm running a cafe, I'll find the right time to go there for a vacation." 

                      I smiled at the glint of excitement on his eyes. He has this dream he wants to chase, and I can tell by how dedicated and passionate he is in his work. When we're done with lunch, I suggested that we visited my old piano school which was a few blocks away from the restaurant. We didn't hold hands or showed any flirty gestures, but he kept on walking beside me, and so I felt countless brushes of his arm against mine. That made my heart pound. Oh, wait...I noticed him taking glances at me with a charming smile. Okay, so he IS flirting with me! In a subtle way! Ahsnjeevkjkjnfnwn OMG what the heck should I do? He's obviously trying to make the first move! But isn't that a little too fast on a first date though?

                     Once we arrived at the glass doors of the piano school, I was amazed at how much the building has changed. It was completely renovated with more classrooms, four more medium-sized concert halls, and a much bigger piano display room and store. We were greeted by a couple of ladies working at the front desk, and once I mentioned my name, they dialed some sort of number on a telephone before a woman with curly grey hair and a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles slid past the bridge of her nose. Her face instantly lit up when she recognized me right away. 

                    "________! How long has it been?" my former piano teacher, Mrs. Evelyn Woodley beamed. 

                   "It's been so long, Mrs. E! How have you been?" I smiled in return as I extended my arms to give her a hug. Eunhyuk watched our reunion with a smile. After a small conversation, I remembered that Hyukjae was watching quietly behind us. "Oh! Mrs. E! This is my uh...date. Hyukjae." Did I literally just call him my date? 

                 "Why hello there, Hyukjae! Nice to meet you!" Mrs. E smiled as she shook hands with him. 

                 "Nice to meet you too, ma'am!" Hyukjae replied. 

                 "He's handsome." Mrs. E commented aloud as she winked at me. 

                 "Really, Mrs. E?" I rolled my eyes as I laughed. 

                 "What? You brought your date here, which is not common for most first dates." 

                  "I just thought that since I told him that I love music and I used to learn piano here, I think bringing him here would be a good idea" 

                  "Well, whoever is dear to ________'s heart is always welcome here at Keys to Heart piano school." 

                  "Thank you, ma'am! That's so kind of you!" Hyukjae bowed. 

                  "Oh! Don't thank me! Thank your soon-to-be-girlfriend for bringing you here!" my teacher giggled. 

                  "Mrs. E!" I groaned. 

                  "Guess it's time to show you around, eh?" Mrs. E laughed. "Oh yes! There's a new piano that just arrived this morning. Maybe you can test it out for us? Just to see whether it's in good condition?" 

                  "Sure! I would love to help out." I nodded. 

                  She led us up a flight of wooden stairs and through a corridor. After passing by several doors, she stopped at one at the furthest corner. "There it is! Isn't she a beauty?" she asked as she switched on the lights. A glossy black piano stood at the center of the room. The fluorescent lights shone down onto it like a spotlight. 

                  "Wow! It sure is!" I exclaimed. I ran my fingers onto the surface as I went around it. I sat onto the bench that faced the black and white keys. The keys were polished as if no one has ever touched them.

                 "Well, I'll leave you two here for a bit. And when you're done testing this baby out, you can come down and let me know how it goes, sounds good?" 

                 "Sure! Thanks, Mrs. E!" I smiled. 

                 "Thank you!" Hyukjae smiled as well. Once Mrs. E left, I quickly think of a song to play. My fingers pressed against the keys, and my eyes were immediately closed as I played one of my favorite pieces, "A Thousand Years " by Christina Perri. When I finished, I opened my eyes to see Hyukjae staring warmly at me. 

                 "What?" 

                 "Nothing," he shook his head, "It's just that you look gorgeous when you're immersed in your playing." 

                  "Oh um....thanks!" I blushed, "Do you play the piano too?" 

                  "Yeah, I do! I've played this song before as well." he boasted as he sat beside me. 

                  "Really? Then maybe we can try playing this together?" 

                  "Is there a duet version?" 

                  "Actually," I said as I quickly ped my handbag. I fished out my iPad and scanned through my documents on Google Docs. "I have a copy of the duet version. Let me just pull it out for a sec." I didn't notice that he was watching me until I flipped my iPad horizontally and caught him staring. "What?" He shook his head as his cheeks blushed. I brushed it off immediately as I set the electronic device onto the piano sheet rack. "Shall we try?" I asked. He nodded and hovered his fingers above the keys to get ready.

Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years" cover by The Piano Guys

My peripheral vision captured his slender fingers, and my heart pounded. I started the intro, and he went along with the first stanza. Once we got deeper into the song, the lyrics floated in my head. I imagined myself being Hyukjae's girlfriend for maybe several years from now, and our love got stronger as years went by. 

And all along I believe I would find you

Time has brought your heart to me

I have loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you a thousand more. 

What if...if we were in an actual relationship...will we keep on loving each other for eternity? It's probably too early to think about the future, but I think once I have my eyes on Hyukjae, I felt that he's like no one else. He seemed to be the type of guy who can be trusted, who would take great care of me in whatever situation, who would love me for my flaws, who can be leaned onto whenever I need to...I've only met him for two days, but deep down I know that he would mean something special to my heart. Something that makes my heart beats more than towards my previous boyfriend. We were playing so naturally as if we're chained to the melody of this song. Shortly, I realized that we'd finished playing the piece. I slowly turned to him staring at me with a loving gaze. His eyes were like a magnetic pull that drew me right in. Without a moment of hesitation, I reached my fingers to caress his cheek, scooted closer, and kissed him on his plump, pink lips. My heart skyrocketed. His lips were pillowy soft. After my smooch, he kissed me back. I pulled back to open my eyes. He looked at me gently and whispered, "I know this is weird to say, but I feel like I've fallen in love with you. I know it's a little too soon to say something like this, but I feel right to say this." 

               I smiled. "It's weird how fast this has turned out, but I've fallen in love with you as well. And I don't want this to stop. Do you think it's wrong to feel this way?" 

               "I don't think so. Love is weird. It can be seen in so many ways. To me, I want this love to be explored more as we get to know each other more." 

               "I feel the exact same way. And...I'm happy that I got to feel this way with you." He kissed me as a reply. This time, he cupped my nape to pull me closer. It amazed me on how we've escalated into a passionate kiss. So this is what people meant when they say they fall in love a little too fast. It's like instead of taking things slow, we've skipped a few basic steps of a proper romantic relationship. But this is just our first date, and there's nothing wrong with discovering our feelings for each other. We're eager to find out deeper about each other. And so maybe our eagerness is just as strong as our heartbeats were in sync as our lips locked.

                 After countless seconds, we finally pulled back to catch our breaths. Both of our faces were warm pink as if we just came back from the icy cold outdoors. Hyukjae smiled softly as he ran his fingers on my forehead and tucked the strands of my fringe behind my ear. I smiled in return. There are so many things I want to share with him, including how happy he made me feel after my first breakup. He seemed to read my mind because he said, "Whenever you're ready, you can tell me whatever you want. You're literally my first real date, and so I feel very special." 

                 I kissed him on the cheek and answered, "Thank you, Hyukjae." 

---

                 Four dates passed, and I started to get more comfortable being with him. Every time I met up with him, he made me fall in love with his gummy smile and glowing countenance. He complimented on how beautiful I looked at the start of every date. He brushed my bangs from my forehead which made me heart fluttered in an instant. He kissed my blushing cheeks which made me wanna smack him for making me even more flustered, but I secretly loved when he did that. I remembered Mrs. E's comment after we tested out the new piano that day. She said with a wink, "Falling in love faster than you expect means that the connection between yourself and him is stronger than your first impression. Don't be afraid to make your love for him beyond the surface. You're probably given life to this world so that you can love him." I promised myself to treasure her words of wisdom. 

                   Hyukjae invited me over for tea and dessert at his cafe. Now that I think of it, it had been a couple of weeks since I went to the cafe. I wondered whether he has told his co-workers or friends about our dates and all. The thought of whether we're an official couple suddenly came to me, and it made me worried a little. I mean...we've gone for four dates. Does it mean that he likes me and wants to continue to hang out with me not just as a friend? As I entered through the doors, Hyukjae was cleaning the coffee machine. Time seemed to stop as I saw him wearing a pair of round-rimmed glasses. Even when he has specs on, he still looked handsome! He literally looks damn good in whatever he wears!

                   "Hyukjae!" I chirped. 

                   "Hey!" he smiled as he leaned towards the counter to give me a quick kiss. To my embarrassment, everyone turned their heads. 

                   "Awwww Hyukjae and ______ sitting in a tree!" Sheila suddenly jumped out behind me and snapped a photo with her phone. 

                   "Sheila! What the....where the hell did you come from?" I gasped. 

                  "What? Can't your best friend come by to check on you and your new boyfriend?" she giggled. 

                  "You could have just told me that you want to hang out." I rolled my eyes. 

                   "Ok fine, I'm sorry!" Sheila acknowledged, "but seriously though I think you and him look so good together. Just look at this!" she shoved her phone right at my face. Her random shot of my surprised face and Hyukjae's confused look made me wanna hide under the counter Hyukjae was standing at, but I had to admit, we did look cute. 

                  Hyukjae's co-workers came by and patted on his back, congratulating him for being in a relationship. They wished us a happy and long-lasting relationship, as they had never seen Hyukjae so happy since he met me. I blushed while looking at Hyukjae's soft gaze back at me. 

                 Hyukjae got us a plate of strawberry tiramisu, which was something I have never seen in any other cafes before. The top was coated with white chocolate flakes and a couple of whole strawberries on top, while the inside was four thick layers of semi-dark pink. We decided to sit at a table outside so that we can have a little peace and quiet. And wow, the cake was delicious! It was just as smooth as its layers. I took out my earbuds so that we could listen to some songs together. We played three rounds of rock-paper-scissors to see whose playlist we listen to first. I won in the end, and so I happily scrolled through my playlist on Spotify. We listened to a good balance of K-pop, piano covers, ballads, and R&B, mostly throwback songs from the 2000s. Hyukjae preferred hip hop, trap, and any kind of upbeat music, but he's also open to soft, emotional music sometimes. On our fourth date, I was curious about how his singing voice sounded like. He was shy, but he blew me away with his gentle voice. He told me that he's better at rapping, but I think that his voice could actually fit in a romantic or sentimental song. 

                  One of my ultimate favorite songs, Unexpectedly by Jason Chen, came up. A big smile crept on my face. "You like this song?" Hyukjae asked.

                 "Yeah! I used to listen to this a lot whenever I have a crush on someone or when I'm in a relationship. This song is basically about falling for someone unexpectedly and thinking about the possibility of being in a relationship. It just makes my heart fuzzy. I think of that special someone who makes me happy, respected, and loved." 

                  Hyukjae nodded. We sat still while the song arrived at the chorus,

Maybe I'm falling for you and me

Just don't know oh were we ever meant to be

Suddenly oh you caught me so off guard

We fell in love so unexpectedly.

                   This immediately hit me. I do fell in love with Hyukjae unexpectedly! I fell for him on the first day we met. I made my first move when we finished playing "A Thousand Years" at the piano school. I praised for his sweet, pure voice. I appreciated him for giving me roses. I'm touched by him wanting to know more and more about me. Love, at first sight, may not be common for everyone. However, to me, it leads to something even special. A bond that only Hyukjae and I will want to tighten and preserve for as long as possible. Love doesn't have to be definite at first, because it can also be a mystery which is also exciting. Love can be a scavenger hunt for me to find the missing puzzle pieces of Hyukjae as a person, a friend, and a lover. As time goes by, Hyukjae and I will see how we will keep up with our bond. Either we will continue to grow and learn from each other or we will stop and leave our traces behind. Time is the answer. Time will allow me to discover more about myself when I'm around him. I'm attracted more and more to him now, and so I'm on this adventure of exploring what we can do to make each other happy. 

                    Hyukjae removed the earbud from his ear. I watched in surprise as he took my hand into his and looked at me softly. "_______, I've been wanting to get this out of my chest." I took the other earbud down and nodded. "I know it's only been four dates, but I've grown to like you a lot more. And so...I was wondering if you wanna be my girlfriend. Well...officially." 

                    I couldn't believe my very ears. He must be thinking about keeping up with our relationship! There's no point of worrying about it after all! I smiled and pecked his cheek. "I would love to be your girlfriend, Hyukjae. And I would love you to be my boyfriend too." He leaned closer to kiss me on my lips. I giggled when he nuzzled his cute round nose against mine. "Remember when Mrs. E said that falling in love faster than expected means that the connection is stronger than the first impression?" I recalled, "I realize that I will become very fond of this relationship a lot more than my previous one. You see...when my ex-boyfriend broke up with me a couple of years ago, I thought that was the last straw for me to fall in love. But my weak heart pleaded me to find someone new to love. I thought it'll take a lot longer for me to open up to new people. But when I meet you, I'm surprised that I can get along with you so naturally. It's like you're made for me to communicate with you and to know more of you. I don't know where this new relationship of mine will take me, but I'm sure that I will not regret this time because you are like no other guys I've met." 

                     Hyukjae showed off his gummy smile. He cupped my cheek as I instantly leaned in his touch. "All this time, my friends have been fixing me up with several dates, but none of them didn't spark me one bit. But when I met you, my heart reacted differently from what I used to, and I knew right away that you are the girl I am looking for. There's something about you that draws me in. I know that I've said how beautiful you are many times, but I really mean them. I didn't tell other girls that they're beautiful, so I think you really are a special one. My heart chooses you. That's why it's beating loud and clear in my ears. You're not just beautiful, but also talented, funny, and mysterious. I also don't know how this relationship is going to last, but I look forward to spending more time with you, to know you more, and to see what the future is in store for us."

                     "I didn't mean to sound selfish, but I hope that my love for you will last for a long time," I said. 

                    "Then let's help each other. And we'll learn to love each other more and more as time goes by," he replied.

                    "I like that." I smiled. He cushioned his lips onto mine, and I went lost in his kiss that was just as sweet and loving as his words, his personality, his appearance, and everything else.