Who doesn't know the only Korean-American guy in the office, the tallest, the super hard-working, and the one and only Mark Lee's brother from another mother? Contrary to his giant figure which made other people feel intimidated, everyone would say John Seo was the kindest, the sweetest, and the most warm-hearted person. Of course, you knew that. Your girl friends were friends with him too. While you only considered him as merely a colleague. You had worked with him several times for collaborative projects in either fashion industry, editorial or just some new stuff he wanted to try out. Eventually you made some friends with his buddies; Mark, Taeyong and Doyoung for instance since you met them much more often outside work. Johnny himself? You'd consider him not even more than an acquaintance in professional world.

"Have you heard? This weekend we're going to have a get-together for all departments," Yeri informed excitedly.

"Yeoreum, you will come, right?" Sooyoung, as excited as well, asked.

You shrugged and sighed. "If I don't have to work overtime, I might consider going."

"What are you talking about? We don't have that much work." Yeri got you. Working overtime had been always your reason not going to any kind of party and get-together unless it was a company dinner.

"Come on. It will be fun," Wendy convinced you.

The girls succeeded making you end your work quite soon on the big day of the get-together everyone but you had been waiting for. The company reserved a pretty fancy private room and let the employees choose their own seats instead of arranging them by departments. Sooyoung who arrived earlier had secured the seat for you girls, which happened to be on the same table with Johnny, Mark and the other boys.

"Summer noona, I'm glad to see you here." Mark cheerfully greeted you, followed by Yuta, Taeyong, and Doyoung who were pretty much closer with you than any other acquaintances. Beside Doyoung seated the big guy, no other than your professional colleague, Johnny Seo.

"Summer, you remember Johnny," Taeyong said.

"Yeah, we worked together for some projects." You bowed your head to him, and he did the same.

It was a non-formal ocassion yet you wore your professional smile and attitude. Whereas the others, including the managers and top bosses were pretty much casual. You spent almost your whole time there being quiet, or just listening to the girls and the guys sharing stories about this and that. Without you knowing, since you literally were minding your own world, Johnny had been observing you in the most subtle way possible.

Being acquaintance as he was, Johnny had no idea who you were except your name and your position in the company. In his opinion, you did your job well. You were agile, creative, able to manage multiple tasks, yet remained to be sane. He realized one thing, that when it came to personal relationship, it seemed like you were a different person. Sometimes he did wonder how Mark and Taeyong could befriend you—or at least gained the title of more than acquaintance—when he was the one you had worked with the most compared to his best dudes. Also, he noticed that your circle of friends were not big, especially in terms of number. So he just concluded that you were the 'quality over quantity' type—which was a good thing, although Johnny himself was the total opposite since he was a social butterfly.

"Now that I think of it, don't you feel it? Like, there is this weird atmosphere around us," Mark suddenly said.

"Probably it's because some of us are not friends. Yet." Yeri grinned, her eyes giving signs to Mark and Sooyoung.

"Who?" Taeyong bluntly asked.

"Yeoreum and Johnny!" Yeri cheered.

"For real though, they were, kind of awkward," Mark addeed.

You denied it, quickly waving your hand and faking a friendly laugh.

ㅡ 🐯

"Is this Yeoreum girl always like this?" Johnny tried to sound as cool as possible asking Mark about you. He continued speaking added with his hands gesture, which was showing that he was trying to find good words. "Like, she exudes icy image or something. Like, she doesn't look as warm as her name. Summer literally just started yet it feels cold around her, but not cold cold, more like cool cold, you know what I mean? Wait, I don't mean it in a bad way."

Mark chuckled. "Are you saying you're interested in Summer noona?"

"No." That was the quickest answer he ever gave. Mark would tell that Johnny was totally in denial. Especially after how you very politely 'rejected' him when he showed his intention to be friends, to be more than acquaintance at work, by saying 'we're good'. Now, which part of you and him being merely acquaintances that is 'good', if whenever you two meet randomly at office, the only word you say is 'hi'?

At least being friends would do no harm. Even better; he could hang out with fhe guys, plus you and the girls comfortably. Not more than that, for the time being. But who knows it just made him more curious about you.

"You know I could set you up with her. I'll talk to Yeri and Wendy noona."

Johnny responded, saying "Yeah, yeah, do as you please." as if he didn't care. Deep down inside, his heart was racing like never before. As a social butterfly, he always liked meeting new people, making new friends. But why did this one make his heart flutter?

Since then, Mark would excitedly arrange some scenarios to do with Yeri's help. These would include mostly lunch together. Baby steps, Mark would say. Yeri suggested that moving too fast would make you uncomfortable. Unfortunately this effort took forever as you still didn't talk much with Johnny. He tried and he always brought the best of himself, yet you just sort of shut him away.

"She hates me," Johnny stated, sipping his remaing ice americano in frustration in the lounge room with Mark and Taeyong.

"No, she doesn't." Mark tried to boost the big boy's mood.

"How did you guys make friends with her?"

Taeyong shrugged. "We shared similar preferences, I guess? For food, at least." Soon, Taeyong started to give Johnny a short list of 'the similar preferences' of food. Coffee was a big no-no. Sweets were like heaven. Spicy food was so-so, kind of okay and tolerable.

Johnny made a face. "That's a lot and very detailed information. Thank you very much, Mr. Lee."

ㅡ 🐯

"Yeoreum, don't be so hard on Johnny." Yeri used her cuteness to 'scold' you because of your too-honest personality towards Johnny.

"I'm not."

The blond girl sighed. "At least try to respond with friendlier manner when he talks to you. Don't treat him like an acquaintance."

"He is an acquaintance." You emphasized your words. 

"Yes, and so is Mark. But Mark is also a friend, who is more than just a colleague."

To you, even the words coming out from Yeri's mouth didn't make any sense. Mark did not befriend you in a snap of a finger. He actively asked you this and that, always paid attention to little details. Also he would always come to you first in every chance he got. And he could keep the personal space in the most professional way that you didn't feel disturbed. Later your favoritism grew bigger towards this boy.

"I know where you're going, Yeri. You know it's not easy for me to start mutual relationship. Let alone people like him. They will get bored with me, like, right away."

"Mark isn't."

Again. The non-sense. "You can't compare people like that. Johnny is not Mark, and Mark is not Johnny."

"I understand your point. Johnny can be a bit... overwhelming." Finally Wendy spoke up. She had been actively listening to you and Yeri bickering. Sometimes she was amazed at how persuasive Yeri was, and at how stubborn you were. Although this time, she actually agreed with you. Wendy would offer her life to be your shield if something bad happens. As she understood your concern, she didn't want you to push yourself for something you might regret later.

"But, Yeoreum, you never know if you don't give it a try." Yeri and her non-stop effort to encourage you.

— 🐯

"Yeoreum, we're having lunch at the pasta house nearby. Join us." Yeri linked her arm with yours as she practically dragged you even before you said something. She made you sit on the edge with Johnny accross you. There were always pros and cons at the same time about being in a group and you sitting on the edge. Being the furthest from center would mean getting the least attention, and the least you had to join the group conversation since you couldn't hear and be heard very well. As for today, having Johnny Seo sitting right in front of you suddenly increased your desire to sit in the middle, beside Taeyong and Doyoung. Unfortunately, seated next to you, Yeri was against it even before you asked for it.

"Do you like pasta?" Johnny initiated conversation.

"Ocassionally."

"Tomato sauce or cream sauce? In 1, 2, 3..." he suddenly played a game.

And the weirdest thing was you fell for it. You said cream, whereas Johnny said tomato.

He cooed cheerfully, probably feeling proud of himself that you actually played along.

"How about pizza?" he asked again when a pan of pizza was delivered to your table. "Pineapple or no pineapple? In 1,2, 3..."

"I don't even eat pineapple," you firmly stated, making Johnny, a true lover of pineapple on top of pizza, gasp dramatically. Unconsciously, you chuckled at his reaction.  "I don't think fruits go well with bread, tomato sauce, pepperoni and cheese," you explained yourself with the most serious expression, as if you were arguing for an important position in a project.

"I think I will have to take you the greatest pizzeria in Korea, or maybe in the whole world, so you will know the beauty of pineapple as pizza toppings."

You were not sure how to respond that. Shrugging while wiggling slowly your eyebrows, you started to eat whatever available before your eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

Johnny grinned. "I'll take that as a yes."

Starting from there, Johnny's journey to get to know you better had officially begun. You could no longer avoid him because he was persistent, in the nicest way possible. He would always try to liven the mood up by throwing jokes and laughing at anything that could be laughed at. Mostly it was anything Mark did. It was almost never only the two of you. Probably this was the main reason you eventually felt comfortable with him around. The cold appearance you used to wear slowly changed and you started to be more welcoming to Johnny. He was succeeded in making himself a part of your daily life. At the office and during lunch time, at least. You were not sure though whether he was a friend now.

Soon, came the day when he thought he was ready to explore how it would be outside the office life.

On a fine summer day, Johnny gathered his courage to prepare the most cheesy event to confess. This big guy actually came to the office wearing a Frozen-themed costume when it wasn't even halloween. He also got his buddies to dress too. Even looking from a far, you got the secondhand embarrassment and honestly you just wanted to run away the moment you heard your name called several times. Unfortunately, Mark and Yeri ran to you pulling you closer to stand before Johnny who was ready with some flowers in his hands.

"I think I like you, Song Yeoreum. You are not like the other girls. You are different. You are cold and mysterious like an ice princess that you maybe the best to play the role of Elsa. And it makes me want to be Olaf for you. If you let me, I'd like to explore this great feeling with you, to figure things between you and me as a person. Not an acquaintance, not a colleague, and obviously not just a friend."

You stared at him, genuinely surprised. You scanned around to find your friends cheering on him.

"We are almost like the north and south pole. That's how different we are. But looking at the bright side, I think it would be an amusing journey to be with you. Just like Olaf who gets his own summer from Elsa, would you, ice princess, be my summer?"