♠♠♠♠♠

Too curious, Hayoung opened the note to read Let’s meet where we went the other day. I’ll wait for you.

Snickering, she folded the note. She hadn’t heard how the date had gone, but seeing Namjoo had written a note for Sehun it must have gone better than expected. The jerk for not sharing with her.

Pulling out her phone she scrolled through for Sehun’s name and called him. Several rings later and no answer. She tried again one more time. Same thing.

Hissing annoyed she lowered the phone and sent a text. If he wasn’t answering he would see her text at least. Putting the phone aside she resumed surging the internet. Today she just wanted to blow steam.

She’d been having trouble with her poetry class. First of all, writing wasn’t her strongest skill. The many times she’d gone to Jongin for help was reason to that, but really it was the best excuse to be around him. She felt like a butterfly hovering around a flower she’d chosen.

Just thinking about him made her want to squeal. His intelligence heightened everything about him all the way down from smarts to looks. Hayoung loved everything.

If he wasn’t worthy of the definition of a perfect man than she had nothing to say for anyone else. A dreamy sigh floated from her lips. As if meaning to ruin her moment her phone buzzed. Picking up her phone she read a text from Sehun. “Help me.”

“What the hell?” She sent reply.

He didn’t explain further. Just typed, “4scue me. Pram Htl.” like he was in a hurry and had to stow his phone away.

Loser she thought. Shoved the phone away and then picked it up again because it egged her. Sometimes she swore Sehun was such an annoying prick.

“I’ll be back.” She told her roommate, grabbed her bag, and hurried out.

On the bus ride it took her some decoding to figure out where exactly the idiot was. Pram Htl was actually Premium Hotel. What exactly he was doing there she was going to make him explain to her in two paragraphs or more.

Premium Hotel was a renowned building for the elite. A distinguished building of concrete and steel. Glass windows stretched all the way up making it some 24-floors. Government buildings and formal businesses surrounded the hotel as if to shout this was a high-class population only zone.

Hayoung felt guilty as heck running inside. Being the only one dressed in jeans, t-shirt, and jacket. Among the identical blazers and shiny oxfords, she was worst dressed than the employees in white and black.

Hiding her face, she ran over to the golden elevator, impatiently punching the side button to head up. Taking note of her a female dressed in a matching black skirt, white button-down, and single buttoned blouse came up to her.

“Do you need help, ma’am?”

Hastily turning Hayoung read the gold nametag to the left of the woman’s blouse. Her face went red embarrassed. “I was looking for the hotel.”

Pointing down the far right, the employee explained, “The hotel is over there.”

“Oh…” Awkwardly laughing, Hayoung nodded an apology and dashed away. The fellow employees standing behind a tall shiny black reception desk observed her closely. Hayoung could sense their expressions reflecting her own embarrassment.

She was going to strangle Sehun when she got the chance.

The restaurant was viewable through an open archway. Round tables sprawled throughout a spectacularly bright room. Waiters and waitresses were going around with round trays. Each of them professionally balancing jugs of water, coffee, or foods. Diners were even more dressed up. Tailored suits right down to high end dresses. Wavy from curly to hair slicked with pomade.

In the air Hayoung sniffed a mix of cologne, perfume, and strong coffee. The sight of these people made it even more intimidating to enter.

“Can I help you?” A waiter stepped over because she’d been hovering in front of the doorway too long.

“Oh no,” she waved her hand, “my friend,” turning to scour the room one more time, Hayoung finally spotted Sehun all the way down, “over there.”

Foolishly nodding, Hayoung skittered inside. Shuffling in her gait and stopping a distance when Sehun’s eyes finally rose over a woman’s shoulder to her. She hurriedly gestured for him to get his up, because there was no way she was going over.

When Sehun remained distracted for too long, the woman in a tweed dress shifted to glance behind her. Abruptly clasping her hands in front of her, Hayoung stood formally. Frozen.

The woman’s steel eyes ran up and down over her like laser. “Who are you?”

This was it. The worst possible thing about being out of place. She should’ve never come. The embarrassment was too sky high. Hayoung could feel all eyes on her. Staring. Waiting. Watching. No one was going to make a move, but she.

Shooting up from his seat, Sehun spread his hand out, “My girlfriend.” He sounded fake as hell.

Hayoung’s eyes widened put on the spot and she cocked her head wondering what the dopehead was up to. Shivers raced up her spine when the woman coyly smiled and invited, “Well, why don’t you join us?”

A nerve in her face twitched. Lifting her hand in the air the woman snapped her hand and, like the high and mighty, called out for a chair to be brought over. Hayoung was doomed.

Obediently a waiter came over and as Hayoung sat pushed the chair in for her. She grimaced when she came face to face with the woman of pride. She was younger, youthful looking despite the makeup. For lunch she even wore pearls around her neck. Hayoung eyed them.

“Tell me about yourself,” the woman nonchalantly started, “and why you didn’t join our blind date sooner.”

This was threefold the shame Hayoung was experiencing today. Elbowing Sehun as discreetly as ever she reached for the note in her pocket and tossed it onto his lap.

“Well, you know,” she pretentiously shrugged, “I’m pretty much last minute. So nervous, but I decided what the heck. I should come.” She fake laughed as Sehun folded the note while making sure to add a smile here and there as she chatted.

“Oh,” he cleared his throat suddenly, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Why?” The woman asked. “You just went.”

He did? And that was the only lie he could up with? What a loser! She made a face at him.

“Nature calls,” he excused and got up. Acting too late when he slouched over and covered his belly as he hurried off.

As Hayoung watched him go she decided she was going to abandon him as a friend from today on.

♠♠♠♠♠

“Um…” Namjoo’s mind suddenly blanked. “Where is the agency? How about I go meet you instead?”

“Namjoo,” her mother covered her hand. Namjoo glanced down at her manicured fingers. Pretty long, thin fingers. Namjoo envied the beauty of it when she was younger. “This is really important. Do you understand the urgency of this? Just go with her after we eat.”

Silencing, Namjoo peeked over at Park Joomi. While the weight of her mother’s words sat on her shoulders she slowly picked at her food.

She had trained for this. Readied herself for this kind of day. Surprise, the meeting wanted to shout in her face, it’s come so soon.

She did get the gist of the letter. The invitation for a meeting. Naively Namjoo thought she was meeting with a producer, they would sign, but no real work would be handed to her after next year when she graduated.

Not this.

Stabbing the vegetable on her plate she thought about the note she had bravely scribbled before coming. She’d been truly eager about the meetup. This time going to the restaurant of Sehun’s choice.

Namjoo was exuberantly looking forward to it.

One more time as she’d processed so many times over the past few days, she pictured the night coming alive when Sehun blurted she was pretty. Pitter patter her heart had loudly sounded. Even the imagery of it made her want to burst out giggling.

She had done so freely when she lay in bed. Replaying and replaying and replaying it again, again, again. It was as if that sole moment had become her entire world.

Sehun lighting up the sky. Stars rising and lapsing, time waning whenever she looked at him.

“…we’ll send someone to get your materials and clothes. You don’t have to worry about anything…” Her mother’s voice faded in and out of her ears. A mixture of imageries and feelings fluctuated through Namjoo.

Things she had never foreseen before. Things she was sure would never hinder her.

“I!” Namjoo rose. The chair slid back nearly toppling over. Everything inside her quivered when she glanced at her mom, Park Joomi. Their shocked expressions glued only on her. She almost relented to the nervousness shooting up her body.

“I forgot my cellphone at school.” Abandoning the table Namjoo snatched her phone on the way out, her biggest mistake.

Running down the driveway, Namjoo was delayed even more when she had to run over and push the button to open the iron gates. Her heart urgently raced with the desperation to find a ride back to campus. So far out on private property not just any cab drove around waiting to be waved down.

Rushing past the high walls, Namjoo raced down the looming street. Not a sign of any vehicle, so she ran a little further. Sweating from adrenaline. Worry pumped through her bloodstream. It was getting later. Already she knew she wasn’t going to make it to the promised place.

Huffing for breath, Namjoo finally made a turn toward the trafficked road. Struggling to flag down a cab every three minutes. Not one stopped for her. In her state of nerves her legs moved on their own, bringing her further down the street. Jumping excitedly when a cab pulled over and a person climbed out of the car. Impatiently grabbing the door Namjoo slipped inside.

Settling into the backseat she fumbled for her phone. Condemning herself when she realized she had neither Sehun nor Hayoung’s number.

Jongin, she could call him. When he answered on the first ring her voice quivered to her own surprise. She went straight to the point, “Do you have Hayoung’s number? Can you send it to me?”

She waited a beat, tense. Chewing her lower lip. One peek out the window and she worried if Sehun was standing around, waiting for her. She jolted when her phone beeped.

Hitting the button right away she called Hayoung. Gnawing on her thumb now while listening to the phone ring. Disappointed nearly floundered her, assuming she was going into missed calls. Then, Hayoung answered. “Hello?”

“Oh…Hayoung,” Namjoo straightened in her seat perking up, “hey, were you able to find Sehun?”

“Well…yea…”

“Can I…can I talk to him?” Namjoo asked.

“Um…actually, he must’ve left earlier.” She vaguely explained.

“Can you tell him to meet me at school instead? At the bus stop.” Namjoo told.

“Sure. I’ll pass the message along.”

Thanking her Namjoo hung up. Nothing to do now. Her options had run out. In a few the cab pulled over to the side of the road and Namjoo took the trek down campus, crossing the pavement, and toward the bus stop. Along with her two other students were standing a width away.

Staring at her feet, Namjoo waited out the twenty minutes. Thinking, replaying memories yet again. This special feeling was beginning to grow on her.

Namjoo lifted her head when the bus hissed to a stop. It stayed and waited to see if she might get on, but when she didn’t the doors closed and the bus drove away.

The clock ticked. Time not stopping for her. Namjoo her phone to glance at the time. It was almost five. Peering down the road she saw no car. No human. Sehun wasn’t walking toward her with an ecstatic smile growing ever the wider.

This time she watched as another vehicle hummed closer. Shiny. Silver. An expensive car for a classy person. Rolling up to her, the passenger window rolled down. Her mother leaned over the gear shift.

“What are you doing?” She called out. “Get in. We have to get going.”

Namjoo stared down the road again. Hoping.

“Namjoo!” Her mother shouted.

Inhaling her feelings, Namjoo pulled open the door and got inside.

♠♠♠♠♠

On a Sunday the mall was as restless as were the visitors. The parking lot was more than half full and yet more cars continued to pull in. One second someone walked out with a load of bags, the next someone was pushing the door to go inside. Whenever that happened Sehun heard the voices of erratic kids, nonstop chatter, and laughter.

Pacing back and forth in front of the five doors Sehun persistently kept watch on who was arriving, who was going. Let’s meet Namjoo had written him. On arrival he’d made the trip inside. Walked around the lobby searching for a sign of her and received curious stares.

In front of the arcade he waited for five minutes. No one paid him any heed. Engrossed in their games not a person cared. All teenagers anyway. Namjoo did not make up a mix of them.

Giving up, he went outside to wait. What if Namjoo was held up? Anything could have happened.

He should’ve asked for her phone number earlier, but it always dropped his mind whenever he was around her. Constantly overwhelmed in her presence, Sehun could never think straight. That was just like the idiot he was. He couldn’t play it right with her.

Just like he was messing up today.

The possibility of if kept stalking him like a ghost. If he didn’t go on the blind date. If he hadn’t listened to darn dad or his pitiful mother. But hell he’d let the old man drive him to the hotel and babysit him throughout the entire meeting.

What a nightmare that was!

Sehun had dug through his closet, put on something decent, and went out of his own accord. Deal with it and he’d somehow escape after feigning illness. Of course, everything he planned backfired.

Miss Icy barely gave him any opening to put on his act.

“Oh Sehun?” She had asked when he hadn’t even put a step into the restaurant, but she was out front waiting, watching, catching him off guard. Smiling like she had a secret, “I was expecting you.”

Before he opened his mouth, she pivoted and strut into the restaurant leaving him at a loss. Clamping his lips shut he followed her inside. A uniformed waiter was pushing in her chair for her when he finally reached. Helping himself he tucked his chair in.

The table was a fine set up. White tablecloth, glass napkin holder, a couple of ceramic plates to be used for the course meal, and a set of utensils rolled inside thick napkin placed to the right. The formal getup he was aware. Sehun wanted to scoff in disbelief. His old man was going all out.

“You’re late,” Miss Icy commented.

“I was holed up,” Sehun almost said in my room then went for the better, “with my studies.”

If he looked studious wouldn’t he come off as boring?

“Studying business?”

“Dance.” Sehun replied with every hint of pride.

“Oh, well,” Miss Icy seemed taken aback, but she didn’t look at him. Instead she busied on arranging her glass of water on the left. “Did you know that in the business field we promote various subjects? Wouldn’t you be interested in that instead?”

“But I believe a person should follow his passion and not outside influencers who won’t be living his life for him. You see every path has a consequence, and the only one paying the ultimate price will be no one else but him. Punishments are sequestered only to the doer.”

Like he for having gone on that stupid blind date instead of staying in the dormitory. Sehun could spend the next five hours scolding himself, but he would wait first. One more time he browsed the parking lot, swinging eyes onto the individuals heading his direction.

Then an engine roared and a cab pulled up on his left. The back door opened and Hayoung bounded out. “Sehun!”

He was ready to ask how she snuck out from the date with Miss Icy, but she snagged his arm and lugged him toward the cab. “What…?!”

“Go to campus. Namjoo is waiting for you at the bus stop.” She shoved him into the vehicle.

“But I thought…” he turned her way, but the door slammed in his face. His nose missed the window by a literal centimeter. The cab started jolting him back into the seat.

His phone beeped signaling an incoming message. It was from Hayoung with clearer directions. Something came up and Namjoo wasn’t coming to meetup with him. He better find her at the bus stop.

Relieved, he sunk into the backseat finally relaxing. He hadn’t missed her. Namjoo was just a few minutes away.

Immediately he began planning what they could do. A walk down the road? Where to? Sehun tried remembering what kinds of buildings were near the university. Restaurants? Shops?

If Namjoo was hungry they could find something. He would pay again. Forking out his money for her made him feel capable. In the future he would be even more. When he could finally support himself, he would get her anything she wanted. That was if she was still around.

Sehun was definitely sure she would be. They could stay friends in the long run. Soon he would man up and tell her he liked her. He was confident Namjoo’s feelings wasn’t far off.

Smugly grinning foolishly Sehun tried not to cackle. The other night with Namjoo was perfect. Her eyes had glistened so beautifully when she looked at him. He couldn’t not say anything. Being so close to her that not an inch existed between them.

Sehun remembered not sleeping that night, but laying awake thinking about her eyes. Big and beautiful. Always saying so much. A look and he felt he knew every secret of hers.

He woke up from his daze when the cab pulled over. Quickly paying, Sehun slid out of the car. No one was at the bus stop. He did notice an expensive car in front of him; the passenger door closing the second his foot landed atop the sidewalk.

Some unseen force drew his entire attention to it. Rashly hurrying three steps forward he leaned forward to peek into the window. Spotting just a split-second glimpse of whom sat in the front seat.

His heart leapt. His mouth opened. Just as the car started taking off.

“W…wait!” Sehun called out striding three more steps and then more until he was running after the car, but it sped off and had gone too far. Coming to a stop he panted.

Sehun didn’t know she wasn't coming back.