~ Summer, Seven Years Ago ~

Thirty minutes left.

I kept on glancing at my wrist watch as I anxiously encouraged the long hand of it to move faster, to reach twelve as fast as it could. I had already lost count on the number of times that I checked the time. I’ve been shaking the foot of my crossed leg under the table. I’ve been biting the inside of my lip numerous times that I’d probably bled it. But most importantly, I’ve been so distracted to critique my students' research works that they’ve been presenting in front of me. And I’ve never been like this.

I closed my eyes and released a huge sigh as I leaned my elbows on the table in front of me, calming my beating heart. I opened my eyes and focused on my students' work. I quickly read the words that one of the groups projected in front of me. I allow them to continue their presentation before releasing my comments.

When they were done, I glanced at my wrist watch once again.

Ten minutes left.

“Okay” I started before clearing my throat. “I think I have thoroughly discussed that in your rationale you should establish the gap this paper is trying to bridge” I said, raising my hands in front and connecting them together as if motioning about bridging thoughts to eradicate the gap.

“Yes, mam” one of the proponents standing in front answered me.

“Now, how come you did not present me your gap?” I asked them, raising my eyebrows at them. “Where’s your gap?” I asked once again when I was only met with silence.

When I was met once again by silence, I sighed, showing my disappointment at them, and looked at them intently. “The first part of your rationale presented a clear perspective of what your topic is all about. But you’ve completely forgotten about the gap, which is one of the most important things your rationale should contain”

I leaned my back on the chair and crossed my arms while looking at my students who’s so scared to meet my eyes. “Revise your rationale. Transfer all research work citations you placed in there to your RRL and remember the gap. Understood?”

All four of them nodded their heads and said all together, “Yes, mam”

I stood up and faced the rest of my class. “Remember the comments I gave to your classmates. Check and review your papers. We'll be doing this again next week to prepare your work before you'll be able to propose them. Was that understood?"

"Yes, mam," my students said in chorus.

"Okay" I said, nodding my head. "Class dismissed. Good evening, everyone" I said, smiling at them before heading out of the room.

I almost ran back to my office in a hurry, but I remembered I have a reputation to maintain in front of my students so I just walked as fast as I could. I grabbed my keys inside my purse and ran to the elevator when I saw that the hallway was empty.

When I reached my car, I quickly maneuvered out of the parking lot and headed to the garden restaurant to meet Wheein.

"" I cursed under my breath when I got stuck in traffic.

I was nervously tapping a finger on the steering wheel while my legs started to move up and down. I ran my fingers through my hair and pulled it gently out of stress. I screamed inside my car from so much frustration when it was already an hour passed six.

I should've decided the time. I should've remembered about my class. I should've just given her my number.

Millions of things I regretted ran in my head, drowning me in misery, while I'm still stuck in traffic. Thirty minutes past seven, I received a call from Irene. I immediately answered her call and turned it on loudspeaker. 

"Bae!" I shouted over the phone as my car slowly moved forward.

"What? She wasn't able to wait?!" Irene screamed on the other side of the call.

"No!" I screamed in despair. "I'm still stuck in traffic" I groaned as my car inched forward.

"And who's fault is that?"

"Mine. I never blame anyone for this" I said before sighing heavily. "You're not helping my nerves at all"

"Where are you now?" 

"Highway" I groaned once again.

Ahead of me, what's supposed to be three lanes was slowly converted into a single lane as an evidence of two cars in an accident, which occupied two lanes on the road.

"Wait. I'm hanging up now. There was an accident and I'm passing it already"

"Oh, so that's why. Okay, okay. But drive safely, Yong. Don't be too carried away" Irene warned over the line. “And tell me everything, okay?”

"I will drive safely. I’ll think if I should tell you everything or not. Thanks and bye. Wish me luck" I said excitedly, hanging up without waiting for Irene's response.

When my car was finally out of the funnel that the accident created, I drove madly as fast as I could, as fast as the laws would allow me. I concentrated so hard as I bit my lip unconsciously. I parked my car haphazardly and quickly fixed my hair with the aid of my rear view mirror. I grabbed my phone, purse, and keys as I climbed out of my car.

I hurriedly went inside and asked for the reservation under Wheein's name. The receptionist said that the reservation already expired. I was disheartened when I heard this but my face lit up immediately when he said that Wheein might still be waiting in the outside garden.

I smiled and thanked the receptionist before moving outside, hoping that Wheein is still waiting for me.

I smiled when I saw Wheein sitting on one of the benches somewhere deep in the garden. Her strap heels were abandoned on the ground as her feet were raised on the bench. Her legs and feet were hidden on the long skirt of her peach dress. A generous amount of skin on her back was displayed as the crossed straps of her dress rested there. Her nape until above the small of her back was uncovered by the dress, showing off her pearly white skin. Her long dark brown hair cascaded in front of her as she rested her chin on her knee while hugging her legs.

I wore a black v-neck long-sleeve shirt tucked under grey trousers, and black pumps. I wore a matching grey blazer over my shirt, unconsciously straightening it as I moved towards her. I would've worn something else, far more generous on the skin department than Wheein's dress, but I may not be allowed in the university if that's the case, so I'd have to settle with this one.

When I was closer to the bench, I saw a small purse and a bouquet of flowers sitting beside her on the bench. I silently walk closer to her, careful not to startle her. She was still lost in her own thoughts when I got so near her and only looked up to me when I was already sitting down.

I leaned my back on the bench and spread my legs in front of me as I closed my eyes to release the breath I held when I was looking for her. I calmed my nervous heart before sitting straight on the bench.

"You waited," I whispered.

I smiled when I saw her shocked face. Her eyebrows were all the way up and was hanging open. She looked so cute and beautiful at the same time.

She blinked a couple of times and shook her head before she whispered, "You came"

"Of course" I said, nodding at her. "I'm sorry I made you wait. My work ends at six and traffic was heavier because of an accident"

She shook her head at me and said, "No, that's okay" 

"Thank you. Let's go" I said, smiling at her genuineness.

I was about to stand up but she stopped me as she said, "My reservation's already expired. I couldn't get another one. I was thinking of bringing you somewhere else but I got so lost in my thoughts"

"Oh, yeah. About that" I said, fishing my phone out of my purse. "Give me a second"

I ran through my contacts and tapped the call icon when I found the name I was looking for. I held it to my ear, listening to the ringing tone, before leaning back on the bench.

"Yow! Yong!" Changsub said over the line.

"Remember the one we talked about?" I said, smiling at his usual greeting to me.

"Of course. Are you here now?" 

"Yup. We're getting in now" I said, glancing at Wheein, who had her eyebrows scrunched from curiosity.

"Okay. I'll be meeting you on the reception desk"

"Okay, thanks. Bye!" 

"You shouldn't let anyone wait, you know. You're a shame to the rest of us" he said, playfully scolding me over the line.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Bye… " I said, dragging the word longer before hanging up.

I put my phone back to my bag before glancing at Wheein again. "Let's go" I said, nodding my head at her.

"Where?" she asked, her eyes scanning my face.

"Inside. Come on. I bet you're already hungry" I said, standing up and smiling apologetically at her.

"Oh, okay" she said, wearing her heels again before grabbing her things on the bench. She handed the flowers to me as she stood up, her face turning red, as she whispered, "For you"

I smiled so wide at her, grabbing the flowers from her as my fingers ever so slightly brushed hers, feeling her soft skin. "Thank you" I whispered, closing my eyes to smell the bouquet of white flowers. "They're lovely," I added, smiling at her as we started to walk inside the restaurant.

"They're white magnolias" Wheein explained, eyeing the flowers on my hand while walking beside me. "That's my Mom's favorite flower. Mine too. We grew them on our backyard in Jeonju"

"These came all the way from Jeonju?" I asked, surprised as I looked at her with my eyes wide open.

"Ah, yeah" Wheein said, nodding her head shyly.

"You travelled all the way from Jeonju to get this?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at her.

"Yeah. I don't have work today so I had the rest of the day to do that" Wheein said, smiling at me.

When we first met, she was so nervous that I wasn't able to witness that deep dimple on her right cheek. She only had one compared to the two right below my lips. I usually find things that are not in proportionate frustrating and annoying, but her deep dimple is the very first to be an exemption. It added so much to her beauty.

"My Mom said they mean love for nature. She always loved the nature around her, attracted to it, that’s why she worked as a photographer to capture it behind the lens” she explained passionately. “She even called me her butterfly when she had me”, she chuckled as she explained it to me. “I thought that it also seemed right to give it to you because your name held one of the brightest things in nature, the sun. I mean it’s not that I love you or something” she hastily added, flustered as her face turned red again. “I just met you. I’m not… It’s not…” she stuttered.

Chuckling, I asked her teasingly, “So you don’t love me?”

“I… Well… It's really too early for that” she stuttered once again and released a sigh when I laughed at her.

“Don’t worry” I said, touching her arm briefly. “I was just teasing. I love them” I said, smelling the flowers again.

“I just thought it seemed fitting for you,” she whispered. “And thank you. It’s a relief that you like them”

I smiled at her while she bent her head low as we continued to walk to the restaurant, nearing the entrance now.

I've been to dates before but this is probably the first time I've received flowers. I’m really not into flowers because I thought it’s a waste of money, so I didn’t mind that they didn’t give me flowers as well. Once the flowers completely die, at most in a week, you will simply throw them away. It’s like spending money on something to throw it away after a week. It doesn’t sound like an efficient way of spending money to me.

And that’s ano