Yoo Jung swung the last suitcase into the trunk of her car and closed it. She looked over at Leena who was busy showing their coworkers her diamond ring. Yoo Jung can almost see the rock on her best friend’s finger from where she was standing. 

“Good morning.” greeted a voice Yoo Jung has been wanting to hear since the moment she woke. She turned to see Xu Kai who gave her a shining smile. 

“Hi.” Yoo Jung replied, captivated by him. 

Her ‘hi’ sent warmth up his body. Xu Kai couldn’t stop thinking about Yoo Jung from the moment she closed the door to her room. 

“Xu Kai, have you seen your dad? I need to ask him about dinner tonight.” Leena said, breaking their silence, “Oh, and Yoo Jung, we’ll be spending dinner with Xu Kai and his dad tonight, will that work for you?” she asked, digging through her bag for her phone. 

“Uhm… Yes, it works.” Yoo Jung answered, glancing at him. 

“Great! I was wondering if you can make that chicken karaage again? Ugh, just thinking about it is making my mouth water. Xu Kai, you’re going to love Yoo Jung’s karaage. She makes this sweet and spicy sauce with it too and it’s just heaven!” 

“That sounds delicious.” Xu Kai replied, he couldn’t wait to see her again. 

Feeling embarrassed, Yoo Jung forced a laugh, “Alright, bye then!” she managed to say before going into the car. 

“Wha- Yoo Jung, we’re not leaving yet-!” Leena said, tapping the car windows. 

/ 

Yoo Jung wished that dinner with the Songs and her best friend could last forever. She wished to be next to Xu Kai like this for as long as he allowed her to. The four of them ate and laughed, shared stories and teased each other. It felt so right to be here. 

“So, Yoo Jung, are you seeing anyone at the moment?” Seung Hyung asked, after taking a sip of his ice water. 

Xu Kai didn’t want to make eye contact with Yoo Jung, he knew if he did, he would give himself away. He desperately wanted to know what she had to say.

“No actually, I was still underaged when I went to university, so people didn’t talk to me much. Likewise with high school...” Yoo Jung replied shyly. 

“Oh that’s right! I forgot that you were only fourteen!” 

“Now that Yoo Jung is twenty, she can date any age man she likes!” Leena said cheerfully, then taking a bite of the karaage.

“For some reason, I thought you were the same age as Xu Xu, it looks like you are older by a year.” 

“Dad, please stop calling me Xu Xu.” Xu Kai interjected. 

“Xu Xu.” Yoo Jung repeated, followed by a smile. Xu Kai’s face turned red, as he could feel his cheeks blush brighter than fire. 

Seung Hyung laughed, “Xu Kai- ah, are you blushing?” he teased. 

Xu Kai felt helpless, he quickly stood from his chair and rushed to the bathroom, “Excuse me.” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” Yoo Jung apologized, but Xu Kai already disappeared through the hallway. 

“Don’t worry about him.” Seung Hyung assured, “Did you ever hear about the school you applied to? Leena told me that it’s a pretty prestigious school.” he asked, taking a bite of the karaage. 

“Oh, I received an email from them this morning actually! They want me to start on Tuesday.” 

“Yoo Jung! That’s wonderful news!” Leena exclaimed. 

“Let’s toast to that when Xu Kai returns!” Seung Hyung cheered, “Wait, what school is this again?” 

Yoo Jung’s phone rang, “Excuse me.” she said, taking her jacket with her and then picking up the call. 

Yoo Jung answered her phone to hear the voice of her step-dad. 

“No, I don’t have money right now… I know, I’m trying… She did?! When?!” Yoo Jung’s breath quickened and her heart raced, “When did she leave?!” Before she knew it, Yoo Jung sprinted toward the street lights and beckoned for a taxi. 

When Xu Kai returned, feeling more like himself, he noticed the empty chair that was previously Yoo Jung’s and wondered what happened. 

“She left on an urgent phone call.” Leena explained putting the dishes away, “I should be heading out too. It’s already late.”

“I’ll drive you home. I can’t let my fiance walk home at night.” Seung Hyung said sweetly. Leena smiled, “I’m worried about Yoo Jung, I hope everything is ok.” 

“It will be. She’s a smart lady.” 

Xu Kai begged to differ, upon remembering their uncanny encounters with the old man back at the forest. 

Yoo Jung stopped the taxi and stepped out to an empty, dimly-lit street. She ran to find her mother, whom her step dad claimed just visited him a while ago. Yoo Jung searched every corner of the street, calling her mother’s name. With every step, she felt further and further away from her dream-like reality with the Songs and Leena, and closer to her nightmare of when she was a little girl. 

“Mom…” she cried, accepting that it was too late at this point to keep searching. She crouched to the ground and hugged her knees, “Momma…” she wept. 

Yoo Jung walked home through the night with her arms around her herself as she pulled her heavy feet across the pavements. Yoo Jung wanted it to rain, so like in movies, no one would notice her tears. She thought it was corny, but she wanted to hide her tears away. She knew Leena would be outside waiting for her and she didn’t want Leena to see her this way. 

“Yoo Jung-ah…!” Leena's voice called when she spotted Yoo Jung across the street. She ran to her, “What happened? Who was on the phone with you earlier?” she questioned. 

Yoo Jung wiped the tear stains off her cheeks, “My step-dad said my mom came to see him…” 

Leena was surprised, “What?” 

“He said that she came to see him to say goodbye one last time. He said she didn’t want to see me.” Tears swelled in her eyes when Yoo Jung explained this, “I tried to see her. I’m- I’m so mad at her, but I don’t want her to be sad, I don’t want her to leave…” 

Leena wrapped her arms around Yoo Jung who was shaking, “Please don’t go near that horrid man again… He’s dangerous.” she ordered gravely. Yoo Jung nodded

/ 

Xu Kai: Are you home? 

Yoo Jung rubbed her swollen, puffy eyes to see the flashing of her phone that alarmed her. She was in bed, drifting to sleep until she saw Xu Kai’s name glow on her screen. She rolled to her stomach and quickly texted back, 

Yoo Jung: Yes. Got back around 9pm. Leena told me you have Jayu.

. 

. 

. 

Xu Kai: Yeah. 

Xu Kai replied with the cutest picture of Jayu that made Yoo Jung smile from ear to ear. 

Yoo Jung: She looks so happy. 

. 

. 

. 

Xu Kai: I hope you are too. 

His response sent a rush of pure bliss up her spine. She contemplated back and forth what to say in return. She began to panic as she didn't want to ruin this moment. Her heart was beating quick while she texted her next move. 

Xu Kai bit his lower lip, did he sounded too corny? Did he dive in too fast? Xu Kai tucked his phone under his pillow and put his head on top of it, “Gosh, Xu Kai!” he yelled at himself. Suddenly, his phone rang and Xu Kai abruptly turned his pillow over to get it, almost dropping it instantly. 

Yoo Jung: I am now :) 

Xu Kai grinned, cheerfully kicking his feet in the air. He quickly turned back to his stomach and texted back. 

Yoo Jung curled in her lips, why is time moving so slow? She couldn’t wait any longer for Xu Kai’s reply. 

Xu Kai: I noticed that Jayu doesn’t have a collar yet. Do you want to go together and pick one out? 

. 

. 

. 

Yoo Jung: I would love that! What time were you thinking? 

. 

. 

. 

Xu Kai: Hmm.. I have school all day, so I was thinking 6pm? I’ll meet you in front of my dad’s office. 

. 

. 

. 

Yoo Jung: Oh goodness, that’s right! I forgot! Haha. 6pm sounds good. Would you be up for dinner afterwards? 

Yoo Jung couldn’t believe she texted that. Her fingers did it all on their own. She went breathless and quickly grew weary. He’s not into you! She thought to herself, He’s going to think you’re crazy! 

Did she just ask me out? He thought to himself. Xu Kai’s jaw dropped, Seriously, Xu Kai?! You should’ve done it first! He buried his face in his pillows, ashamed at how slow he was. 

Xu Kai: Ha, I was actually thinking about that too. Yeah, dinner sounds good. 

The two stayed up as late as their bodies let them, texting about where to eat and which pet store to visit. It eventually led to what days Jayu would stay with whom, and researching the breed that she could be. Xu Kai confessed that he was glad Jayu was a dog since he was allergic to cats. Yoo Jung shared how she always wanted a cat growing up because a dog meant walks out in nature and Yoo Jung hated being out in nature. Xu Kai was surprised about that because she built them a shelter and found food back at the garden. She replied with the fact that she forced herself to take a survival class in college. He laughed astoundedly to himself. 

Yoo Jung woke the next morning to the sound of her alarm. She jolted up, realizing she fell asleep on Xu Kai! Yoo Jung skimmed through their messages and sure enough, she didn’t reply. He did, however, texted her at the end: You are probably sleeping now. That’s good. See you tomorrow. Good night, and sweet dreams. ---delivered at 1:03 am 

Yoo Jung hugged her phone to her chest and grinned cheerfully to herself. Her phone buzzed again alerting her of an email. She opened it: 

From: James Cheung International High School Head Administrator: Mr. So Ji Sub 

To: Ms. Kim Yoo Jung 

Dear Ms. Kim Yoo Jung, 

We are excited for you to join our team of expert teachers and staff. I personally want to welcome you to our school and wish that your experience here will be nothing short of excellent. I understand that you are filling a position mid-year, so I hope that you have all the resources you need to succeed. If you have any questions, please let me know. Attached is what the teacher before you used for her lesson plans. You may choose to modify it as you please, just as long as it meets our English Language standards. 

Aside from this, below is the information about your housing and meal plans (which is fully funded by our Parent-Teacher Association and scholarship donors). If you have any questions, again, please don’t hesitate to ask. 

See you tomorrow! 

-So Ji Sub 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch is provided through the school. Dinners, weekends, and holidays where the school cafeteria is not opened, teachers are given a stipend of $30 USD per day for the school year. 

Housing plan: Housing for all teachers is located on the premise of JCIHS (below the highschool). Teachers are roomed separately. Everything is provided: heat, electricity, internet, water... 

Yoo Jung continued reading and with each word, excitement filled her nerves like electricity. She couldn’t believe that she will be living her dream job. She has been waiting for this moment since she left high school. This moment to live freely and not have to depend on others, but for once, others can depend on her. She thought about Leena and the wedding plans, and how much she can help with that. Yoo Jung thought about her adopted, forever-parents, and how proud they would be and how much Yoo Jung can now take care of them too. 

Yoo Jung couldn’t focus at work. She thought about her plans for her students, she wondered how she would go about classroom management. She tried to remember everything her professors have taught her about learning interventions, and behavior plans. Yoo Jung wrote her ideas and plans down in between phone calls and client conversations. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow. Before long, she was locking up the doors to the Song Law Firm LLC and saying goodbye to her coworkers. Yoo Jung looked at her wrist watch which read 5:55pm. She had less than five minutes until she got to be with the one person she’s been wanting to see all day. Yoo Jung couldn’t wait to tell Xu Kai the news about her job and all of her ideas for her new classroom. She couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her evening with him. Yoo Jung waited for Xu Kai in front of the law firm as instructed, pacing back and forth in anticipation and nervousness. Did he forget about her? What if he changed his mind? Yoo Jung tried to think positively that perhaps something happened and prevented him from coming on time. She was a stickler about time. Yoo Jung believed that if someone is on time, then they are actually late. But, since it was Xu Kai, she was willing to wait as long as she needed to. 

6:25pm. Yoo Jung checked her phone for any messages from Xu Kai. Nothing… 

“Yoo Jung!” 

She turned toward Xu Kai’s call and smiled brightly at him. 

He was panting, breathless from his sprint, “I’m- I’m sorry for being late.” he answered. She shook her head, “Mm, don’t worry about it. I wasn’t waiting too long.” she lied. 

“I had basketball practice, and it lasted longer than I expected.” he said apologetically, Xu Kai was carrying a large Nike duffle bag over his shoulders and was still in his sports attire, “are you ready?” he asked. 

“Yes!” she answered as the two walked toward the nearby pet store. A motorcycle zoomed past them, but just before it did, Xu Kai instinctively pulled Yoo Jung away from the edge of the sidewalk by her shoulders. Yoo Jung was surprised by the gesture. She glanced at him with wide eyes. Xu Kai quickly took a step back and awkwardly cleared his throat. Yoo Jung smiled to herself, thinking about how thoughtful he was to make sure she was safe. 

“How was work?” Xu Kai asked, opening the store doors for Yoo Jung. 

“It went by really fast-”

“Welcome to Happy Puppy Pet Store!” greeted a hyperactive employee, “How can I help you two today?” 

“We’re just looking-” Xu Kai answered, but was quickly cut off. 

“Do you two have a dog?”

“Yes.” Yoo Jung replied. 

“Aww a couple’s pet! How cute! You two are cute together too!” exclaimed the employee

“We-we’re not-” Yoo Jung stuttered, she can feel her cheeks burning. 

“We’re looking for collars.” Xu Kai interrupted, also blushing terribly. 

“This way!” guided the employee. 

Did we look like a couple? Xu Kai wondered, wishing it could be true.

Yoo Jung didn’t mind the employee’s assumption. She was smiling to herself, imagining what kind of couple they were perceived. Cute? That doesn’t sound too bad! 

“How about this one?” 

Yoo Jung walked toward Xu Kai to look at the collar he picked out. It was a pastel-purple, leather collar with an oval, silver plate at the center. She beamed, “I love this color.” 

“I thought you would.” Xu Kai said, grinning. 

“How?” Yoo Jung questioned, her eyes bright like stars. 

Xu Kai replied, “I notice you wear brightly colored clothes like this.” 

Yoo Jung held her breath. He...notices me? She laughed nervously, “We should get something that has both our likes. Because...Jayu also belongs to you. You did save her.” she said sincerely. Yoo Jung wanted both of them to share Jayu. Xu Kai risked his safety for her. 

He nodded, “Ok.” 

“How about this one?” Yoo Jung held another collar. It was a bridle style one, that was an earthy green with rose-gold buckles. She hesitated before she spoke, “Do you... like green?” she said, remembering the green, crew-neck sweater he wore last weekend. 

“Actually, that’s my favorite color. Good pick.” he complimented. 

“I remember you wore this color. It looked- good on you.” she quickly said before walking away. 

When did I wear...Oh! Last weekend. She remembered? He put his hand to his chest and felt the thumping of heart. Settle down, Xu Kai. You are completely uncool right now. He lectured himself. 

The two continued walking through each aisle picking out cute goodies for Jayu. 

“Xu Kai-ah,” Yoo Jung said. Xu Kai will never get tired of hearing her say his name. 

“Hm?” 

“I just accepted a teaching position. They are paying for my housing and giving me a meal stipend. I’m so excited. It’s everything I ever dreamed of. It’s a well-paid job, with a professional demeanor and I really feel like I can grow as a teacher! ” she exclaimed. Xu Kai looked at her affectionately, “That’s great.” he said, soaking the energy and excitement she was emitting. 

She went on, “I feel like my whole life has always been someone that depends on others. Now I feel like I can be someone others depend on.” Yoo Jung leered happily, “I can pay for this collar! And help with Leena’s wedding. My adopted parents don’t know yet, but I’m thinking about visiting them next weekend to surprise them with the news!” 

Xu Kai asked, “What’s the school?” 

“James Cheung International High School. It’s one of the most prestigious schools in Seoul. The staff members are predominantly foreigners with lots of experiences in the field. It’ll be like…” 

Xu Kai heard nothing else from Yoo Jung after she said the name of the school... the name of HIS school. His heart dropped, his breath grew heavy, he felt like he was choking. No, it can’t be. It can’t be the same school. He thought to himself. Xu Kai re-positioned his duffle bag that had his school logo on it. He didn’t want Yoo Jung to see. He didn’t want her to feel any different than her joyous self now. Xu Kai recollected himself and took a deep breath, “That’s good news.” he managed to say. 

“I know! I’m so blessed. I feel like I’m in a dream.” Yoo Jung turned to him, “I don’t want to wake up.” Her eyes and her grin were big and bright. Yoo Jung wanted this moment to stay still for a while: Her past of dependency behind her, her new and hopeful job before her, and Xu Kai, the sweet and captivating Xu Kai, beside her. 

“What would you like engraved on the collar?” asked the cashier. 

Yoo Jung and Xu Kai glanced at each other. 

“Uhm, Jayu’s name for sure…” Yoo Jung answered, writing it down on the paper that the cashier slid over to her. Xu Kai suggested putting his home address since Yoo Jung and Leena will be moving. Yoo Jung agreed and he began writing down the address. 

“Did you also want to add the names of your puppy’s owner too?” the cashier said. 

Yoo Jung looked at Xu Kai who was still writing the address. She smiled, “Yes. Song Xu Kai and Kim Yoo Jung.” she answered, the sound of their names together was like the sweet melody that Xu Kai played on his guitar. Yoo Jung won’t ever get tired of it. Xu Kai finished writing their names on the paper. 

“Ready?” he said, straightening his duffle bag around his shoulders. She nodded. 

“Since you paid for the collar, I’ll pay for our meal, how about that?” Xu Kai suggested. Yoo Jung smiled again, “Yes.” she answered, following him out the door. 

“Where to?” 

“There’s this lovely little food truck that makes the best rice cake soup! The sauce is perfectly sweet and spicy, with lots of cheese! I think…” 

Xu Kai gazed deeply at Yoo Jung. He was captivated. Her smile, her excitement, her joy, everything about her in this moment, he wanted to savor forever. Xu Kai didn’t want her to be a teacher at his school, how can he continue to pursue her if she was? How would she feel dating a ‘student?’ What if she doesn’t want to be near him anymore? Even though they were close in age, it would be hard to hide his affections toward her at school. How can he? He can barely hide them now. Xu Kai wanted to be beside her like this for as long as she allowed him. Xu Kai wanted to hear her laughter, her stories, the things that make her sad, or happy every day. He didn’t want to be limited based on profession. He felt burdened and dizzy.   

“Are you ok with that?” she asked. 

“Huh?” Xu Kai’s thoughts dissolved like mist, “Yeah, anything is fine by me.” 

She forced a smile and he could see her concern for how withdrawn he was the last couple of minutes. 

“Are you ok?” Yoo Jung questioned, looking at him from side to side, “You seemed lost in thought.” 

“I… I don’t feel too good.” Xu Kai said. 

“Hm?” Yoo Jung responded. His reply wasn’t what she expected, “Oh. Do you want some medicine?” she began digging through her bag for anything to help relieve him.
“Can we- Do you mind if we take a rain check on that dinner?” Xu Kai asked, feeling hot and sweaty. 

“Uhn- Okay.” Yoo Jung answered, confused about what Xu Kai was going through. 

“Great. I just don’t know if I can eat anything right now.” he admitted. 

She nodded, “Of course.” 

Xu Kai offered to walk Yoo Jung home, but she knew he wasn’t feeling well, so she forced herself to deny the offer. She watched him turn his back as the distance between them widened.