Upon hearing another door lock itself into place while I was locking mine, I noticed my next-door neighbour dressed up all prim and proper. I'd say he looks dashing if it weren't for the joggers and hoodie.

"Like what you see?" he asked, smirking. "I've seen better," I quipped, pulling my white cardigan closely. "Aren't you dressed for the occasion?" he sneered as he inspected my attire. "Aren't you as well?" I retorted, walking over to the elevator.

"Can you tell me why you're following me?" I inquired, realizing he was tailing behind me. "Do you know if there's another one nearby?" he asked as he pressed the button. With a shake of the head, I expressed my dissatisfaction with the situation. He mumbled, "I thought so."

When the elevator doors opened, we stood next to each other as we stepped inside. Throughout the descent, I ignored him. It was excruciatingly unpleasant. It gave me a sense of déjà vu. It reminded me of when I was with Eric's uncle, but this was a bother.

By the time we parted ways, my mother was visibly frustrated. An expression I was familiar with. She was as impatient as she had always been. Despite the fact that it only took me a couple minutes to get ready while it would take her an hour.

As I stepped into the red sedan, I slammed the door shut. "I'm going to get more wrinkles because of you," she complained as she backed out of the driveway.

As we stopped at a red light on our way downtown, I noticed an Audi pull up beside us. I was completely taken aback by the vehicle. It was elegant. I wished I could afford one, but whoever owns it must be a wealthy man, I thought.

As my mother kept inching the car forward, I caught a glimpse of the driver. My jaw dropped open. To my dismay, it was my next-door neighbour, and he had caught me staring. He stuck his tongue out at me. I scowled.

Facing back to the road, the signal turned green and soon he overtook my mom. Throughout the silent journey, the black car took the lead and we never lost sight of it. The only time we did, was when we entered a parking lot. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that we wouldn't have to meet again.

Upon our arrival, the scent of anticeptics wafted in the air. My mother led me over to the waiting area and instructed me to wait.

Obviously. What else am I suppose to do in a waiting area?

I took my phone from my purse and started scrolling through Twitter.

After being hidden beneath SM's basement for months, boyband NCT Dream has finally made a comeback. Their concepts were always on point. Very refreshing, in my opinion. The singers, on the other hand, were a visual treat. I'm sure Kai would flip if I went after them.

As I continued scrolling, I heard my mother calling out to me from across the waiting room.

Who's embarrassing whom here?

I immediately stood up and followed her, not wanting to face the crowd any longer. The nurse led us down the corridor and came to a halt in front of a door. She instructed us to remain seated until she called us. When I turned around, I saw that there were a lot of people waiting for the doctor.

Dr. Byun Baekhyun, Dermatologist, I read from the name board framed at the door.

If Dr. Byun had my mother waiting for them, then they must be a well-known doctor, I thought.

A flash of white passed in front of my eyes, entering the empty room. I couldn't see his face, but it made my mother sit up straighter and ask me if her make-up was okay. I gave her a thumbs up, and the nurse soon started calling patients up. When it was our turn, I groaned in frustration when my mother grabbed my hand and forced me to accompany her.

The interior of the room appeared to be very similar to the ones in a drama. "Dr Byun, Mrs Kang is here to see you," the nurse announced.

"All right, I'll be out in a minute," he said from behind the curtain.

With the water running over the sink, I couldn't hear him clearly. I had a feeling I knew who it was but I couldn't place my finger on who though.

The nurse motioned for us to enter and take a seat. With all of this sitting, I'm afraid my bum will turn out as flat as an ironing board. My mother brushed her hair back and smiled at me.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting," the doctor apologized as he came around the corner.

Soon as he appeared in front of us, I frowned. Lo and behold, it was my friendly neighbour, who was appropriately attired for the occasion.

I saw his face falter for a moment before composing himself, "Good morning Mrs Kang. Looking beautiful as always," he complimented my mother.

"Oh stop it, Dr Byun," she blushed, waving her hand.

"How may I help you today?"

"You see, I intended to contact Dr Park, but it appears that I won't be able to persuade him to consent to the event that the town's committee is planning," she explained.

"With the number of cases steadily decreasing, it's natural that Dr. Park would be quite busy at the hospital.  I recommend you contact his wife, Mrs Park." He offered, "I'm sure she'd be delighted to make an appearance."

"It's funny you should say that. I even asked Mrs Park as well, but she said it would be better for the hospital's reputation if I asked Dr Byun, a bachelor. That would attract the attention of all the women in town. Consider it as self-promotion," my mother reasoned.

"My sincere apologies, Mrs Kang, for I had already promised my parents that I would visit them on that day," he said after a brief pause.

"Don't be silly. Everyone in town is aware that your parents took a vacation to meet your grandmother in America, and how will you be able to go when you have work the next day?" I looked at my mother in disbelief as she asked.

How thorough was her investigation?

I'm sure he's internally slamming his head against the wall while cursing Myunji Eonnie.

"You caught me. I have no other choice but to confess that I am no longer a bachelor, seeing as I promised a fine dame that I would take her out that day," he said, clearing his throat.

For a brief moment, my mother looked at him with suspicion, "Dr. Byun, you must not lie. It's evident that you're single."

"I'm not. She appears to be in the room with us," he stated. "No one else is here except us," my mother said, looking around to see if the nursing staff was behind us.

"Exactly," he said, smirking at me. I raised an eyebrow at him. Confused. My mother abruptly slapped my hand. "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded. I scowled. "What exactly do you mean, Eomma?" I questioned, perplexed by her sudden demand.

"That you're dating Dr Byun," she said, startling me.

"Excuse me?"

Before my mother could respond, he interrupted us, "Please forgive me for interfering, Mrs Kang, but you know how shy your daughter can be. She asked me not to bring it up in front of you, but since you have been persuading me to find a suitable woman in front of her. I felt compelled to only speak the truth."

The moment my mother can even question him any further, her phone rang. She excused herself and walked out the room, leaving me alone with the doctor.

"What on earth were you thinking? How could you possibly have lied to her about your marital status? Not that I'd mind, but why would you involve me?"

"Listen, missy, I didn't have a choice. It was either you or the entire town. I can't afford to have unnecessary problems in my daily life, and having to lie about my relationship with you would make things a lot easier for me. That means I won't have to deal with the obnoxious town ahjummas," he said, leaning in closer and he rested his elbows on the table.

"Not my problem," I said, crossing my arms, "and isn't it obvious who gets the short end of the stick?"

"I don't mind if it means things get easier for me."

"I most certainly would," I scowled, "however, this is not something I will agree to."

"Can't you help a neighbour out here?" he sighed, resting his head on the chair. I shook my head. "What is it that you want? Name it, and I shall do it. If that's what it takes for you to help me, I'm willing to do it," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He appeared dissatisfied. I could tell the pressure was getting to him, but if he's willing to comply, I guess I don't mind.

"Fine," I huffed, "I'm only helping you out this once seeing as you're my neighbor," he cocked an eyebrow in interest, motioning me to keep talking. "First and foremost, I want you to sincerely apologize for what you did yesterday."

"I was simply giving you advice, as any good doctor would," he claimed. "It makes no difference! What you did was humiliate me in public," I retorted, the events of the previous night still fresh in my mind.

He nodded, realizing he had no other option. "What's the second condition?"

"Do not fall in love with me. Plain and simple, right?" I said, deadpanning him.

"Is that all?" he asked, absurd by the simple request.

"I'm not kidding. I've already got a lot on my plate. So we got ourselves a deal?" I asked, extending my hand out for him to shake.

My mother walked into the room just as he was about to reach for my hand. He yanked his hand away quickly and coughed, causing me to laugh nervously. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" she asked, a knowing look etched on her face. We both shook our head.

"Has it been decided already? Will Dr Byun join us?" she inquired, skeptically. "Apparently, Mrs Kang, I promised your daughter that I would take her out that day," he lied as he handed me the baton. My eyes widened as she turned to face me, "yes, he promised to take me to that art gallery I've been wanting to see."

"Nonsense! How important can an art gallery be, compared to what the association will be doing for the hospital?" she quipped, "Don't be greedy, Sohee and bring Dr Byun along to the fundraiser," she ordered, "I hope to see you there this weekend, Dr Byun," and with that she stormed out.

"We'll talk about it back at my apartment," I said, running after my mom.

A few minutes passed inside the ice-cold car and, unable to bear the silence any longer, I burst out in a fit of rage and yelled at her, "What's the matter with you? You didn't have to coerce him into going. Couldn't you tell he was feeling uncomfortable?"

"I did what was needed to be done for the association," she argued.

"Even embarrassing me in front of him?" I inquired, looking out the window.

"Oh grow up, Sohee! What was there even to be ashamed of? If anything, I was. You're already twenty-five, and you haven't even introduced him to us. I would have lost a successful son-in-law if he had not taken the initiative to inform me."

I groaned in frustration as I sunk deeper into the seat, wishing to disappear. It was pointless talking to her. I couldn't convince her either way. She never took the time to listen or understand what I had to say. She valued the association more than her own flesh and blood.

"Could you drop me off up there?" I told her as I pointed to the bus stop. "Why?" she questioned.

"I forgot I had a scheduled appointment," I lied. "I can drop you there instead," she offered. "No, here is fine."

I didn't want to spend any more time with her, no matter how suffocating it was. If it hadn't been for my father's successful business, the town's association would not have chosen her.

She quietly obliged, dropping me off at the requested location. "Then I'll be heading to eemo's place. Text me when you get home," she said as I nodded, getting off from the vehicle. "Send my regards to her," I said as I shut the door. She quickly drove away, disappearing when she reached a corner. While walking down the sidewalk, I exhaled a sigh of relief. Relieved, that I'll be able to live another day. 

Observing my surroundings, I realized I was in the more upscale part of town. Every shop appears to be more opulent than the last. I came to a halt when I saw a gorgeous dress displayed in the store. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I glanced up and saw the store's logo.

The initials KJ were finely embossed in gold within a cauliflower-like outline.  I was on the verge of bursting with laughter. It was the first time I'd seen a logo like this. Especially with a vegetable included. I took out my phone and used Google Lens to look it up. Soon after, I was directed to the store's official website, which appeared to be as authentic as the store I was seeing.

I read the articles and noticed that, despite being a new brand, the store was quite popular. The feedback and ratings were fantastic. However, there was no mention of the brand's owner, as if they were concealing their identity. According to the most recent news flash, they will be launching their newest collection in Seoul on Saturday. They even hinted that there would be a big reveal.

The store bell rang, interrupting my reading, and I looked up to see a familiar brunette exiting the store. Kai was looking as fashionable as always. We were both surprised to see each other. "Look at what the cat dragged in," he said, a huge grin plastered on his face. "Fancy seeing you here as well," I replied, slipping my phone back into my purse. "I hardly ever see you here. What brings you around this part of town?" he inquired.

"Sightseeing. What about you?"

When the same question was directed at him, he averted his gaze and coughed nervously, "Oh, you know Jung-ah Noona's cafe was nearby, so I decided to take a detour."

"A detour inside a high-end store?" I chuckled, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Clothes define a person," he stated.

"I think you have it backwards. Clothes don't make the man."

"I don't approach fashion. Fashion approaches me."

"Who taught you that cheesy line?" I asked as both of us burst out laughing.

"Picked it up from a fashion magazine," he shrugged, "Would you like to join me on my quest to Noona's place? It's close by."

"Sure," I said, nodding, and soon we were walking side by side to his sister's cafe.

~Author's Note~

Hoot! Hoot! Byun Baekhyun is in the building 💜✨

*ahem* it's Dr Byun Baekhyun. lol xD

No. There is no Sergeant Chanyeol at all. But fingers crossed 🙈

That was chapter 3 for you. I hope you enjoyed it!

Next chapter will hopefully be up by next week. I love you too! 😉😂

Till then see you around. Fighting!