Despite in her late 20s, Joohyun didn't feel any pressure to settle down unlike her colleagues at work. She's the type of person that won't go out there to date random people of the world. Imagining how her friends and colleagues go through series of forced interactions with strangers to find 'the one' just don't sit right with her at all. There's no way she could put herself in that kind of awkward situation. That's why she just hope that the one destined for her would be up for the challenge of finding her alone.

 

Joohyun just ignore her friends and colleagues' teases about how she'll grow up old without a partner with what she's doing. Aside from not searching for a partner, she kept turning down people who ask her out the first time. The list of her rejected people had been going on since elementary so yes, she's nbsb/ngsb despite her ethereal beauty. Joohyun is a straightforward person, if she doesn't like anything she'll say it outright regardless if that person get hurt or not. If there's just no spark at the beginning then there's no point of trying. She strongly believes that if she meets her other half she would know and feel it the first time. No matter what gender, if the right feeling and connection are there then she would know that person is the one for her.

 

Joohyun just never thought she would experience that to a certain exchange student. The people who Joohyun strongly not want to associate herself emotionally as part of a host family. She sighed for the nth time while she became absorbed with her thoughts as she starts the engine of her car.

 

"Are you sure you're okay? I think you're tired from work, we could still cancel it."  She heard Seungwan say with worry so Joohyun turned to the passenger seat quickly to make that go away. That didn't go easily as planned though, because she never expected how heartbreaking it was for her to see Seungwan's sad face until now.

 

"Oh no. I'm sorry, I was just thinking. I wasn't tired. I promise I won't leave you with my thoughts again."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yup. Positive!" Joohyun said cooly with a smile, internally wishing that Seungwan's features would brighten up. 

 

"If you feel tired just tell me right away, we could take a rest for a while." Seungwan finally flashed a bright smile and Joohyun's heart skipped a beat.

 

Joohyun quickly averted her eyes and start maneuvering her car or they will stay in this parking lot forever with her just staring at Seungwan. She has to think and act properly this time and not add more embarrassing moments in front of her, she aims to salvage the remaining respect that Seungwan has left for her. 

 

Joohyun decided to bring Seungwan in the Lotte World, it's a tourist destination and recorded to be the largest indoor theme park in the world. She thought Seungwan might like it there. Despite hating rides as much as she hates being around a lot of people, Joohyun risked it all for Seungwan to enjoy herself and forget her loneliness even at the shortest time. 

 

"Woooow." Joohyun heard the younger girl reacted once they got into the place. Somehow, that boosted Joohyun's confidence, her sacrifice quickly rewarded. Perhaps this day would be a great day for both of them...

 

or not.

 

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She recalls again how in the world Seungwan's pout and twinkling eyes managed to convince her in taking this roller coaster ride. Joohyun mentally noted not to look at her eyes whenever she's requesting for something scary like this, she's too soft for her!

 

When they took off their first ride, and probably the last for Joohyun's entire life span, the older one looked like she's about to pass out now with how pale she turned out. 

 

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you're bad at this. If I had known, I wouldn't ask for this ride." Seungwan apologized and Joohyun brushed it off quick. 

 

"I didn't know I was bad at it either." She lied, again. "It's my fault, I thought I could do it but did you have a great time? Somehow?" Joohyun wished but disappointment came to her when Seungwan begun sulking again. But that didn't last long as it was quickly replaced with another bliss.

 

 

"I'll enjoy everything if I know you're enjoying this day with me as well. You can be honest with me, I won't be angry just because you decline something you don't want to do." She paused for a while and brushed the back of her neck with her hand. "I-I prefer to do the things you like more than what I like." 

 

Joohyun regained warmth to her face, her lips curled up. "I promise, I won't do that again. Then... would you like to see the aquarium?" 

 

"Do you like that?" 

 

"Yes." 

 

Seungwan's face brighten up again, her excitement has returned as well. "Then let's go!" 

 

Joohyun sighed subtly as she could to tame her loud heart, but her widening smile gave out her joyous feeling right now. She's now certain that this day will be a great day. 

 

Everyone in the Lotte World Aquarium was amazed by the gigantic aquatic creatures swimming behind the wide glass around them. Joohyun had been here several times, she liked it here, even more so now with Seungwan around. The student never ceased to amuse her with her reactions. Joohyun never met anyone like Seungwan before who displays her emotions clearly on her face. This is yet another charm of her that Joohyun came to adore.

 

"I-is there something on my face?" The student asked her shyly when she got caught staring. 

 

Joohyun didn't know how but she fearlessly complimented her. "You're very charming, do you know that?" She then watched Seungwan's face slowly formed a shade of red on her face. Her heart was beating so fast it's making her lightheaded at the sight. 

 

"T-thank you but.. have you seen yourself?" 

 

"Huh?" 

 

"You're the prettiest lady I've seen in my whole life." She heard Seungwan spoke and that's it for Joohyun's sanity.

 

"I-I'll go to the restroom." Joohyun excused herself, she knew she couldn't control herself reacting embarrassingly over Seungwan's compliment to her. She could squeal and giggle inside the toilet cubicle, just not in front of Seungwan.

 

"Do you want me to accompany you?" 

 

"NO!" She said outright that startled Seungwan a bit, so she composed herself and added, "S-sorry. Just stay here, I'll come back to you."

 

"You won't leave me, right?" Seungwan said with a pout, this moment is becoming more and more dangerous for Joohyun's  weak heart.

 

"Of course not! I-I'll come back to you. Just wait for me." This is sounding like romantic lines exchanged between couples in a movie to Joohyun, so she turned around to stop it immediately or she'll lose her remaining self control.

 

Their next stop together was to take dinner then go home. They spent and enjoyed most of their time at the aquarium that they forgot the time. 

 

"Any Korean food you want to try?" Joohyun asked.

 

"What's your favorite?" 

 

"Me? Tteokbokki." 

 

"Then I want to try that!" 

 

"Really?!!" Joohyun blurted out very excited and it caused Seungwan to chuckle. 

 

"Seems like I hit the jackpot." 

 

"Huh? What do you mean?" 

 

"Let's go prettiest lady I've seen in my life. Let's make this day even better with your favorite dish in our tummies." Seungwan offered with huge grin on her face. Joohyun was puzzled but forgot her curiosity instantly with Seungwan's greasiness. Another charm that Joohyun discovered and liked about the student. 

 

---

 

Joohyun rushed over to Seulgi's room when they got home while Seungwan greeted her parents. Joohyun buried her face to the thick sheets of Seulgi's bed to silence the sound she's about to release, she screamed.

 

"Kyaaaaa!"

 

"Whoah! What in the world?" Seulgi was sleeping  studying at her desk and only became aware of her surrounding after her sister's muffled squeal. "What happened?" She turned towards her sister.

 

Joohyun said something inaudble for Seulgi to comprehend.

 

"What? I can't hear you clearly. Get your dirty face off my bed sheet by the way, your make up will smudge on it."

 

Joohyun abided in low spirits so Seulgi commented, "Is the date that bad?"

 

"Seul, I don't know what's happening."

 

"Huh? What do you mean?"

 

"How can one small human have so many charms?"

 

Seulgi squinted her eyes to think but she ended up getting drowsy again. She shook her head awake and said, "Could you speak in a language I can easily pick on?"

 

Joohyun looked at her incredulously, it's pointless, Seulgi's still unaware when it comes to the matters of the heart. She may be teasing her last night about how age doesn't matter in love but she has never experienced liking someone before either, at least that's what Joohyun knew about Seulgi. She sighed but it's better to confess to clueless Seulgi, right? She won't get suspicious who's the target of her words.

 

"Seul, what will you do if you like someone you don't want to like?"

 

Seulgi's eyebrows furrowed at first but smiled next as if she realized something good. "Then I'll just continue to like that person. There's no point denying the fact that I like that person already. I mean, it's not like I could unlike that person as how we do on social media. Our feelings don't work like that. What's done is already done unnie, that's reality."

 

Joohyun sighed. 

 

"Why not suppress that feeling instead?"

 

Seulgi then gasped in disbelief and rebuked. "Why would I hurt myself like that? The more you hold back, the more it'll hurt unnie."

 

Joohyun sighed, defeated. "Are you sure you haven't liked anyone before?"

 

"Huh? No, I haven't. Why?"

 

"It feels like you knew a lot."

 

"Oh. I was thinking about the cake mom bought the other day when I was on a diet. That cake was my favorite but I had to hold back and now it's gone. I'm hurt! I regretted it a lot!" 

 

Joohyun scoffed as she watched Seulgi in the verge of tears. She was so wise and her object of affection was.... Joohyun shook her head in disbelief. But still, the explanation was valid, Seulgi was still right. Perhaps, she'll just let her feelings go on like this for Seungwan.
 

---

 

Joohyun always came to office an hour before their call time but because she wanted to impress Seungwan, she offered her a ride to her school reason why she arrived in the office almost on the dot. She never gave her little sister a ride before, so even if Seulgi's school was far from Seungwan's, she told her that she's included in the ride too so she won't receive suspicious look from Seulgi.

 

Surprisingly, Joohyun never felt it as a hassle. In fact, she was over the moon that she was able to see Seungwan's cute and mega attractrive sleeping face during the travel. It felt like she could take more projects to deal with or she could probably run her own company with how much that sight of Seungwan gave her energy. Mondays have never been this good in her entire working life. No, this is the best!

 

"I'm expecting a rattled you to arrive but there you are smiling like Joker in your seat. I guess oversleeping ain't your thing?" Joy, her best friend and seatmate in the office, teased while she put on red lipstick.

 

"How rude of you to compare this beauty to Joker... Ronald McDonald." Irene rebutted and Joy shut her mirror closed right after.

 

"Tch. Is it THAT red?" Joy ceased from their teasing war quickly, she needed a comment from another beauty after all.

 

"You're going to a design coordination meeting not a party, Joy. Lessen the shade at least." Joohyun handed out some tissue to her but Joy rejected it.

 

"That's the point unnie. I need to look that gorgeous as if I'm in a party, I'm going to ask extension for my deadline after all."

 

"Congrats, you did it clown."

 

"Unnie, is it really that bad? I'm really worried now." 

 

"Aish. I told you to do overtime last week but you just don't listen." Joohyun shook her head in dismay and proceeded to prepare her desk to work.

 

"Joy, your meeting will start in 15 minutes. The consultants are now inside the conference room 3." Their floor receptionist/secretary reminded her.

 

"Thanks! Tell me when the clients are there already, I'll head straight there after."

 

"Okay."

 

Joy then opened her pocket mirror to check her face again before starting another conversation with Joohyun.

 

"My lips are okay, Joohyun. You know what's redder than my lips?"

 

"What?"

 

"Your face when you're smiling like a fool in your chair. Something great happened?" Joy grinned at her with a knowing look. 

 

"This is more than great, Joy." 

 

"Oh really? Enlighten me." Joy finally turned towards her with full attention.

 

"I think I like someone."

 

1,2,3.....

 

"WHAT?!" Joy stood up and screamed out loud after 3 seconds, it earned the attention of their whole department. She only sat back down when Joohyun forcefully pull her down.

 

"Are you insane?!" Joohyun whispers, rage manifesting in the veins becoming visible on her forehead.

 

"You can't blame me for reacting this way! I've already accepted my fate to visit you, when you grow old and alone, in the future with my own family so this is the biggest plot twist of my life's story!"

 

"What?" Joohyun look at her incredulously but she calmed down eventually when the hard working gossipers in their office finally settled down.

 

"Joohyun, I've never in a million years expected this! Oh my God, this is a sign that doomsday is really coming soon!"

 

"Stop exaggerating will you? Oh gosh this is becoming more embarrassing."

 

"So what is he like then?" Joy set aside teasing Joohyun as she gets more curious on what kind of person made this woman's cold heart finally melt. When Joohyun gave her a stern look, she changed her question with quick understanding. "Okay. So what is SHE like?" At this point that Joohyun gave her the most shocking news of liking someone, there's nothing more that could surprise her now. uality was no issue for Joy, her life motto was 'Just do you' after all.

 

"She's.... beyond words. She's surreal, I'm losing my wits when I'm with her. She's so beautiful in and out I want to cry." Joohyun covered her face in shame. In shame because she could clearly hear how whipped she sounded. She only rolled her eyes or curl her fingers when someone near her tell a story about their other half but now that she was put in the same place, she could never do the same anymore. Joohyun mentally noted to never cringe nor look down on people being so madly in love with their partners, she won't accept being called a hypocrite for that matter. Wait, in love?!

 

"Okay, there's no question you're in love but hey can you be a little more helpful to me and give me specific details?" Joy said calming herself before she slaps her best friend awake from her own delusional euphoria.

 

Joohyun sighed, resigned. Seungwan must have been working inside her heart and mind all this time with how fast a like escalated to love after their first 'date'.

 

"She... she makes my world... a lot better if not complete." She proceeded answering Joy's question after accepting her fate in love.

 

"Uh-huh." Joy was cringing so hard but she let Joohyun be, it's her first love after all.

 

"She's so lovely and smart too."

 

"Okay?"

 

"She's so funny and her laugh just resonates to my heart, I want to be the reason behind her laughter." Joohyun laughed softly when remembered something funny that Seungwan did.

 

"Great! We got 2 Jokers now."

 

"She's so kind and warm hearted. Exactly my type."

 

"This is getting boring, tell me something about her looks." Joy demanded, she wanted to hear something exciting.

 

"She's like a character from a story book. A beautiful snow fairy, no, she's a princess!" Joohyun exclaimed like she finally solved the puzzle in her head.

 

Joy face palmed, this conversation is not going anywhere. Perhaps slapping her friend's face really was a good idea before speaking to her.

 

"She looked really neat and fluffy. She smelled so nice and fresh too, like a baby!"

 

"Joy, the clients are here!" The floor receptionist announced and Joy was more than happy.

 

"Oh thank goodness, I'm saved!" Joy stood up enthusiastically from her seat making Joohyun return back to her right senses.

 

"You're going now Jo-nald?"

 

"Look, Joo-liet, are you sure you're in love wi